Viral nature of unchecked news stories on social media

The hashtag #iegūglēpirmscepies (Google Before Fuming!) has outlived the original project and has become a slogan that is often used to encourage others to check the accuracy of viral social media stories. The initial campaign, launched by the BCME in collaboration with the Latvian Journalists’ Association and the Re:Baltica Centre for Investigative Journalism, explained the basics of fact-checking by unmasking a series of fake stories featuring local celebrities.