A Teaching Resource

Misinformation Specimens

What this is

Most media-literacy material teaches with hypotheticals. This category doesn't. Every specimen in it is a real, documented case — verified by fact-checkers, journalists, or the organizations involved — logged the way a naturalist logs a species: what it looked like in the wild, and the field mark that gives it away every time it resurfaces.

It's built for classrooms, but works for anyone who wants a fast, concrete way to recognize the mechanisms behind misrepresentation rather than memorizing a specific list of hoaxes. The goal isn't to know these cases — it's to catch the next one, which will look nothing like these.

The guides

Specimen Series No. 1

Things That Want to Be Shared but Need to Be Checked

Twelve manipulation patterns across three categories — Framing Distortions, Dark Patterns, and Rhetorical Sleights — each a real, sourced case.

View this guide →

Specimen Series No. 2

Numbers That Want to Convince You but Need to Be Checked

Eight statistical manipulation patterns across two categories — Statistical Sleights and Interpretation Traps — each a real, sourced case.

View this guide →

Specimen Series No. 3

Charts That Want to Persuade You but Need a Second Look

Four chart manipulation patterns — truncated axes, dual-axis tricks, reversed scales, and non-proportional icons — each a real, sourced case.

View this guide →

Specimen Series No. 4

Coming soon

Future series will be added here as they're completed.