Navigating Climate Misinformation

The document outlines ten best practices for journalists to counter climate misinformation, emphasizing the need to assess the visibility of false claims before reporting and using specific communication techniques like the 'truth sandwich' to avoid reinforcing myths.

• Climate Action Against Disinformation (CAAD) defines climate dis/misinformation as content that challenges the existence or impacts of climate change, the human influence on it, and the necessity for urgent action.
• Journalists are advised to evaluate the impact and visibility of misinformation before deciding whether to report on it or ignore it to avoid inadvertently spreading falsehoods.
• When debunking is necessary, the 'truth sandwich' technique is recommended, which involves starting and ending the communication with correct information, while placing the explanation of the falsehood in the middle.
• To prevent the further spread of misinformation, journalists should avoid including or directly negating false claims in headlines, as social media users often share news based on headlines alone.
• Technical and editorial strategies to avoid boosting bad content include using 'rel="nofollow"' in HTML hyperlinks to prevent search engine weight, using screenshots or transcripts instead of monetized YouTube videos, and utilizing archive sites like the Wayback machine.

APA

Climate Action Against Disinformation (n.d.). Navigating Climate Misinformation. https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Journalist-Field-Guide-3pager.pdf

Chicago

Climate Action Against Disinformation. Navigating Climate Misinformation. n.d. https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Journalist-Field-Guide-3pager.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Action Against Disinformation |title=Navigating Climate Misinformation |url=https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Journalist-Field-Guide-3pager.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateactionagainstdisinformationndnavigating, author = {{Climate Action Against Disinformation}}, title = {{Navigating Climate Misinformation}}, institution = {Climate Action Against Disinformation}, url = {https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Journalist-Field-Guide-3pager.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }