Social media has had a dramatic impact on the ways we interact with one another. Social media platforms have connected us to one another in new and impactful ways. Stories and opinions can gain exposure with unprecedented speed, giving individuals around the globe continuous access to a near-real-time conversation about both important and trivial matters.
Social media is the real ghetto; there is the good, the bad, the ugly, all in one place. Depending on what you set out to do, there is always room for you on social media; the sad reality is that a lot of people with good intentions think that everyone else has the same intentions as themselves. This is far from the truth.
Social media might be an avenue for you to unwind, catch up with friends, trends and relax. It is a giant propaganda machine for some others. This is why you must tread carefully in the vast alternate reality that is social media.
Unfortunately, there is a dark side to social media: fake news. Misinformation can influence users, manipulating them for political or economic reasons. How can you spot fake news, how do you sniff out misinformation, and what can you do to combat it?
What is misinformation?
Often referred to as “fake news” in modern times, the term “misinformation” is defined as false or inaccurate information that may be distributed with the intent to deceive those who read it.
Information or opinions that you disagree with may not necessarily constitute misinformation. While the term “fake news” is often used as a pejorative in journalism today, this is a dishonest use of the term; indeed, the practice of calling fact-based reporting “misinformation” based on the premise that it doesn’t align with your political views could arguably be called misinformation itself.
To understand the concept of misinformation, consider a couple of modern examples:
- In early 2020, a number of myths began making headlines regarding the supposed treatment of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus. Many bogus claims were presented as fact, including the idea that eating more red meat or coconut oil could treat the virus.
- On more than one occasion, I have gotten chain messages, otherwise known as Broadcast Messages asking for prayers or offertory collections for people in some named location who are presumably under attack. Some of these claims are backed by videos. Of course, the videos were doctored.
Both instances of misinformation are clearly designed to push a specific agenda, whether to sell a phony solution to a desperate market or to fleece people of their hard-earned money. Such content can harm public discourse by influencing individuals to make misinformed decisions when it comes to politics or their personal well-being. Debunking such claims requires careful research, fact-checking, and media forensics. These are only a couple of examples of the countless areas where misinformation can make an impact.
Misinformation vs. Disinformation
While the two terms are commonly used in place of one another, “misinformation” and “disinformation” are not synonyms. Misinformation refers to inaccurate reporting that stems from inaccuracies; as such, the term does not imply an intent to deceive. Disinformation, on the other hand, refers to the intentional spread of inaccurate information with the intent to deceive.
To be clear, disinformation is always misinformation, while misinformation may be disinformation, depending on the intent. For example, if an article discussing a political figure is found to contain a factual error, it is misinformation. If it is discovered that the inaccuracy was intentional, the article can be called disinformation. Since intent can be hard to determine, these terms are often used interchangeably.
How to stay in the clear.
The adage goes that you cannot stop birds from flying overhead; you can, however, stop them from nesting in your hair. The internet is huge, you cannot wave a magic wand to make disinformation and misinformation go away. You can decide not to share disinformation, and you can help others debunk it.
Once you’ve spotted a suspicious piece of content, look into the publisher and author of the content. Do either have an established reputation? Are they known as trustworthy sources? If not, do they cite their sources — and are those reputable?
Fake news often uses fake author names and bogus sources. If the site has a history of making suspicious claims or details in the author bio don’t seem credible (or a bio is non-existent), you should treat the content with extreme scrutiny. Check out the site’s “About Us” page for information about the publication. You may notice suspicious details. Cross-reference these details with reputable news sources to determine the authenticity of their claims.
Finally, don’t forget to check the publication date of the content. A suspicious article may not be fake news; it might just contain dated information. To fact-check, any claims made in such content, search for up-to-date news on the topic.
In addition to following the above considerations, there are many telltale signs of a fake news story to be on the lookout for:
- Faked website address: An article may claim to be from a well-known news publication, but is the web address right? Compare the web address to the home page of the actual news organiSation in question. If there are discrepancies or misspellings in the address, you may have spotted a fake.
- The author is anonymous (or extremely well-known): Fraudulent publishers may use a generic author name or omit the byline entirely in order to avoid scrutiny. Alternatively, they may use a very famous person’s name as the byline. In such instances, exercise a healthy amount of skepticism.
- The article misrepresents or misquotes its sources: Citing reputable sources is an effective way of making your argument seem more credible. However, if the article doesn’t accurately reflect the sources it used, it should be treated with suspicion.
- The article contains spelling and grammatical errors: Real news sources employ editors to provide high-quality content. Purveyors of fake news often don’t. As a result, fake news articles may contain excessive writing errors.
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