To correct someone in a discussion is to show or tell someone that something is wrong as well as pointing to or explaining what is accurate.
EXAMPLE: “Reports of deaths after taking COVID vaccines are extremely rare. CDC has more information on this: https://tinyurl.com/5epay3wn. Remember that a report doesn’t necessarily mean that vaccines caused the death. The rate of adverse events caused by vaccines is extremely low.”
GOALS: The goals for this approach can vary. One goal may be to correct the speaker about a specific issue such as climate change or vaccination. Another goal might be to equip the speaker with general skills to identify inaccurate information. There might also be times when you want to make sure that others listening in on the conversation have access to correct facts.
Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character. Empathizing is sharing the emotions of others, an identification with someone else on an emotional level.
EXAMPLE: “I understand how you feel.”
GOALS: Empathizing is a key mode of responding in conflictual exchanges where resolution or a transformation of the relationship is the goal.
To encourage healthy inquiry is to help others ask questions of the information they are reading, such as “What do other sources say?” or “What’s the evidence?” This response mode is not the same as being skeptical of all information.
EXAMPLE: Asking someone “how do you know that?” And “What other sources confirm this to you?” Is a place to start. Encourage the person to think about the motivations and biases of the source of the information, and why they find it credible.
GOALS: Being able to critically evaluate information by not immediately believing new claims is an important part of healthy inquiry. This response mode encompasses a wide set of goals of information and media literacy programs.
