It’s been nearly a week of the escalation of violence in the Middle East — and the level of misinformation being shared is unprecedented. Social media is being flooded with false claims, doctored images, and even video game footage, creating confusion around the already-complex Israel-Hamas war.

But it’s not just social media spreading incorrect information: Trusted media and government officials, including President Biden, are falling into this trap too.

We talk to Bellingcat researcher Kolina Koltai about how misinformation is spreading in the fog of war and how to avoid spreading it yourself.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.