Information Integrity

Urban legends have fascinated (and sometimes terrified us) for generations. When these legends are mistaken for truth, however, information integrity can be severely compromised. Snopes.com is one of the best-known fact-checkers on the interneta go-to resource for any type of overheard factoid, from old wives’ tales to hoaxes, celebrity gossip, and common mis-beliefs.The articles on the site are almost entirely written by Barbara and David Mikkelson. This devoted husband-and-wife duo has made a career out of correcting circulating rumors. They go through a variety of research and physical fact-checking to prove their point, such as tracking down President dollar coins to prove that they still say “In God We Trust.” Other recent rumors that the Mikkelsons have recently debunked include an upcoming cell-phone directory that will be available to telemarketers, and the rumor that Mars will be closer to Earth this August than at any time during our lifetimes.The site has definitely caught on with Internet users in the know, averaging around 300,000 visits a day and meriting write-ups in The New York Times, NPR, Reader’s Digest, and the Washington Post. The importance of verifying rumors can sometimes be directly related to safety, such as in the claim that dialing 77 on a cell-phone will connect you with highway patrol dispatchers. Ironically, David Mikkelson says most of these rumors pass on because of people wanting to be helpful. Other reasons may include showing off knowledge, proving people wrong about political matters, or expressing prejudices.In a sly twist, the Mikkelsons have even made up rumors to see how quickly they would spread. The result? Such claims, like that “Sing a song of sixpence” was a secret code used by pirates for recruitment, have appeared in books and on television showsas fact. It appears Snopes may have a lot more work to do dispelling rumors than they think.