Choose to be Curious Ep. #290: RumorGuard: Curiosity Takes on Misinformation, with Dan Evon
Jul 31, 2025
Dan Evon, Senior Manager of Education Design at News Literacy Project and former Snopes.com writer, dives into the world of misinformation. He discusses how curiosity can shield us from falsehoods and shares practical tips like lateral reading and reverse image searches to discern truth. The conversation also tackles the pitfalls of social media and the importance of robust fact-checking in journalism. Through creative analogies, Evon emphasizes nurturing curiosity to combat misleading information effectively.
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Episode notes
Friend's False Grand Jury Claim
- Lynn describes being fooled by a friend's false April Fool's-style grand jury claim that spread widely.
- She realized later it was untrue after a reporter contacted the friend and a retraction followed.
Misreading Viral Course Claims
- Lynn recounts mistakenly believing Harvard had quickly launched a new free Government 101 course tied to current events.
- She discovered Harvard had long offered a similar course and the viral framing was sensationalized.
Fact-Checker Still Gets Fooled
- Dan admits he still sometimes falls for misinformation when it aligns with what he wants to be true.
- He often only realizes it later when checking fact-check sites and sees he was fooled.