The WasThatTrue blog
Guides, research, and thinking on misinformation, media literacy, and fact-checking.
YouTube Fact Check: How to Verify Claims Without Leaving the Video
A practical guide for viewers who want source-backed answers while the claim is still fresh.
32% of US adults get news from YouTube regularly. But unlike social media, very few viewers check the claims they hear.
Not every claim is simply true or false. When credible studies disagree, forcing a verdict is dishonest. Here's how we handle it.
A transparent look at how the extension retrieves, ranks, and presents source material for every fact-check.
A short skill borrowed from professional fact-checkers that works on websites, articles, and YouTube videos.
Hallucinated citations are a structural feature of how language models work, not a passing bug. Here is what that means and how to protect yourself.
WasThatTrue waits for you to click instead of scanning every claim. Here is why user-triggered fact-checking beats automatic moderation on YouTube videos.
A three-hour episode can pack dozens of unsourced claims into one sitting. Here is a practical way to check them, one claim at a time, without losing the thread.
The illusory truth effect makes repeated claims feel true, even false ones. Here is the psychology behind it and how to protect your judgment.
Supplements, diets, and miracle cures fill YouTube. Here is a practical way to check a health claim against real medical evidence before you act on it.