28 September: access to information and three verification steps

28 September marks the International Day for Universal Access to Information. The 2026 edition focuses on information integrity in the digital environment and the role of access in addressing disinformation.

Reliability matters alongside access

The UN highlights timely public information, media literacy and credible data. A global conference involving UNESCO and the government of Sierra Leone is announced for 28–30 September 2026.

Three questions before sharing

Our suggested verification routine starts with three questions: who published the item, when was it created, and does the full document support the headline? For an official notice, check later updates too: an earlier announcement may no longer describe the current position.

When the information is incomplete

Separate facts from assessments. Saying a meeting took place needs different evidence from claiming it solved a problem. Treat a screenshot without an address or date as the start of a search, rather than as conclusive evidence.

If you cannot locate the source, pause before sharing or clearly state that confirmation is missing. Save the original link and the date you checked it. This small habit is useful for election reports, benefits, schools and transport notices alike.

This article and translation were prepared with AI assistance. How we work