Guides

SIFT: A Media Sorting Guide

Pause before you share. This civic media guide asks about a story’s source, its effects, the function it serves, and the evidence behind it—then asks what action reduces harm and protects people.

Civic Tool v.1 · Story, Impact, Function, Truth.

Pause · SIFT · Decide

Story

What’s the claim—and where did it come from?

Name the source and how it knows.
Separate facts from feelings.
Name what’s missing or assumed.
When was it made—is it current?

Impact

What is this doing to people and relationships?

Fear or panic.
Division or scapegoating.
Confusion or distortion.
Destabilization or escalation.

Function

What is this story doing for the speaker?

Belonging or identity.
Simplicity or certainty.
Protection or control.
Status or moral superiority.

Truth

What’s emotionally true vs. factually true?

What can I verify right now?
What would change my mind?
What’s the best evidence against it?

Check facts, patterns, and incentives: individual, social, and structural.

Decide

What action reduces harm and protects people?

Don’t amplify yet if uncertain.
Verify with two or more independent sources.
Ask or seek context.
Share with context if it holds up.
De-escalate.
Protect elders and protect community.

Protect roots. Protect each other. Truth with care. Always.

This is Christopher Knorr’s SIFT—Story, Impact, Function, Truth—followed by Decide. It is distinct from Mike Caulfield’s SIFT verification method.

The Sift Room uses this approach in public cases. For the longer account of claim review, see The Audit: From Coherence to Answerability.

Answerability, Knowledge & Media: project and status · All work · Corrections and updates

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Making something function as art and having rightful authority to do so are different questions. This paper examines framing, standing, and contested art-relations.