With 2020 Census invitations beginning to hit mailboxes on March 12, we can expect an increase in the amount of mis/disinformation circulating. Helping drive home the importance of the Census and its impacts will help encourage people to continue to participate, but actively and effectively combating mis/disinformation is also important.
Data & Society has put out a great overview that outlines recommendations for what to respond to and how to do it effectively.
A few other great resources for folks combating mis/disinformation:
- The Census Bureau outlines a number of key elements on how to verify official documentation and has published samples of the official Invitation Letter and Envelope that people can expect to get in the mail.
- CensusCounts has also put together a great packet with a quick reference on how to handle disinformation.
- United We Dream, in partnership with WITNESS, also put together an overview specifically helping people identify and verify reports of ICE raids.
In addition, here’s how Facebook & Twitter are planning on combating mis/disinformation related to the Census.