BuzzSumo Content Analyzer + fact checking websites
When journos use CrowdTangle, they usually already have a hunch that a news story is misinformed.
So, more often than not they begin their investigation with a query in mind, and search CrowdTangle to discover social media pages and group discussions around said query.
Well, a similar process can be undertaken in BuzzSumo to discover popular, albeit misinformed web content.
And this workflow proves even more powerful when combined with intel from fact checking websites.
In fact, BuzzFeed, The Independent, Yahoo, and The New York Times have all used BuzzSumo in combination with other fact checking resources, to identify and report on fake news.
Let’s walk through the process. Take the search “Horse paste” – this topic gained traction in 2021 amidst the pandemic, when public figure Joe Rogan publicly declared he was ingesting the substance (otherwise known as Ivermectin), on the understanding that it could cure Covid-19.
The news did the rounds on social media, and became a classic example of misinformation. Here’s an example of how I went about investigating it.
Investigate the most engaging headlines around suspected misinformation
I headed to BuzzSumo’s Content Analyzer, and searched “Horse Paste”