Critical thinking is not the ability that we are born with, and has to be developed through studying and practicing. Wishful thinking, hopeful thinking and emotional thinking are easier and more typical for human nature. It is difficult to deny emotions and instead accept our initial belief as false, but it is necessary if we are to differentiate facts from fiction. A healthy dose of skepticism by examining the evidence and arguments will serve us well in our quest to prevent the spread of fake news. Remember that fake news can kill and it is our responsibility to stop them.

1. Fake News
Checklist
DURING PANDEMIC AND BEYOND
Kasia Hein-Peters, MD

2. Is This a Conspiracy Theory?
YES NO
C Belief in contradictory ideas
O Overriding suspicion, not accepting evidence
N Always nefarious intent of conspirators
S “Something must be wrong” belief even when all
arguments are proven wrong
P Feeling persecuted for sharing the truth
I Immune to evidence, even the best documented
R Re-interpreting and connecting random events
into patterns
If your answer is “yes” to most of these points, the story may be a conspiracy theory
Adapted from Lewandowsky S & Cook J "The Conspiracy Theory Handbook" (2020).
Available at http://sks.to/conspiracy

3. Is This a Propaganda?
YES NO
B Is the story balanced?
E Does the story include independently collected
evidence?
S Are sources of information provided and are they
credible?
T Are credentials of the creator tenable?
If your answer is “no” to most of these points, the story may be a propaganda
Adapted from Allen M "I’m an Investigative Journalist. These Are the Questions I Asked About
the Viral “Plandemic” Video" ProPublica, May 9, 2020
Available at https://www.propublica.org/article/im-an-investigative-journalist-these-are-the-
questions-i-asked-about-the-viral-plandemic-video

4. Is This Supported by Science?
YES NO
R Are experts independent and do they have
relevant expertise?
E Is the quality of evidence high?
A Is the story aligned with an agreement of scientific
authorities?
L Is the quality of scientific literature supporting the
story high?
If your answer is “no” to most of these points, the story may not be evidence-based

5. Evidence-
Based
Medicine
 Level I: Evidence obtained from at
least one properly designed
randomized controlled trials.
 Level II
▪ 1: Evidence obtained from well-
designed controlled trials
without randomization.
▪ 2: Evidence obtained from well-
designed cohort studies or case
control studies, preferably from
more than one center or
research group.
▪ 3: Evidence obtained from
multiple case series designs with
or without the intervention.
 Level III: Opinions of respected
authorities, based on clinical
experience, descriptive studies, or
reports of expert committees.