What to check before sharing a map online
Maps look objective, but they choose what to show and how.
Maps have an aura of objectivity. A drawing with colors, legends and borders seems like a faithful picture of reality. In practice, every map makes choices: what to show, at what scale, in which colors, with which borders and with what date. In moments of tension or fast news, maps go viral, and some carry errors or manipulations.
The question
What is worth checking before passing a map along?
The context
News maps, such as those showing conflict zones, disasters, elections or health data, condense a lot of information into one image. This is useful, but also allows a map to be edited, taken out of context or drawn to support a conclusion.
What to check
- Source. Who produced the map? A news agency, a recognized organization, an official body or an anonymous profile? Look for the original.
- Date. When was it made, and until when is the data valid? An old map circulating as new is common.
- Legend and title. What do the colors and symbols mean? Does the title match what the map shows?
- Scale and framing. Does the framing exaggerate or minimize an area? A different projection changes the apparent size of countries.
- Borders and names. There are disputes over names and boundaries. Does the source indicate which basis it refers to?
- Data behind it. Where do the numbers come from? If there are percentages, are they absolute or proportional to population?
- Signs of editing. Odd edges, different fonts within the same map, colors that do not match the legend.
- Reverse image search. Search for the image in a search engine to see whether it has circulated with another context.
- Confirmation from another source. Compare with news and maps from other outlets.
An example
A map showing "the areas affected by a flood" circulated on a social network. Doing a reverse search, Rafael discovered the image was from an event years earlier, in another region. He stopped sharing it and told the person who had posted it. This is an illustrative example.
How to apply it
Before sharing, take two minutes. If you cannot confirm the source and date, say so when sharing or do not share. When the map is right, share it with the source and date.
Conclusion
Maps are powerful tools, and that is why they call for care. Asking who made it, when, with what data and to say what keeps a pretty image from spreading wrong information.