Fake News Pledge for Citizens

I agree that the spread of fake news on Facebook and other social media platforms has a toxic effect on rational civic discourse. When people spread fake news, the lines between real journalism and fabricated stories masquerading as news are blurred, undermining meaningful discussion in our democracy.

So, to promote informed and reasoned debate, I pledge not to knowingly spread fake news. If I accidentally do so, by sharing, “liking,” or posting inaccurate information, packaged to look somehow like news, I will remove the falsehood as soon as possible and post a correction as well as an explanation of why I posted it in the first place.

If it’s deemed false or inaccurate by Snopes, Politifact, Factcheck.org, or by a respected news outlet, information from my Facebook page will be removed as soon as possible--or detailed reasons for not deleting it will be provided.