Social Media and the News: Approaches to the Spread of (Mis)informationAxel Bruns
Paper presented by Axel Bruns as part of the workshop Integrity 2021: Integrity in Social Networks and Media at the 14th ACM Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM) in Jerusalem, Israel, March 2021.
News Diffusion on Twitter: Comparing the Dissemination Careers for Mainstream...Axel Bruns
Paper by Axel Bruns and Tobias Keller, presented at the Social Media & Society 2020 conference, 22 July 2020. A video of the presentation is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCKpDkC8iqI.
'Fake News' on Facebook: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Study of Problematic Link...Axel Bruns
Long version of the paper presented by Dan Angus, Axel Bruns, Edward Hurcombe, and Stephen Harrington at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference, 12-16 Oct. 2021.
Social Media and the News: Approaches to the Spread of (Mis)informationAxel Bruns
Paper presented by Axel Bruns as part of the workshop Integrity 2021: Integrity in Social Networks and Media at the 14th ACM Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM) in Jerusalem, Israel, March 2021.
News Diffusion on Twitter: Comparing the Dissemination Careers for Mainstream...Axel Bruns
Paper by Axel Bruns and Tobias Keller, presented at the Social Media & Society 2020 conference, 22 July 2020. A video of the presentation is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCKpDkC8iqI.
'Fake News' on Facebook: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Study of Problematic Link...Axel Bruns
Long version of the paper presented by Dan Angus, Axel Bruns, Edward Hurcombe, and Stephen Harrington at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference, 12-16 Oct. 2021.
Sharing, Spamming, Sockpuppeting: Comparing the Twitter Dissemination Careers...Axel Bruns
Paper presented by Axel Bruns, Tim Graham, Brenda Moon, Tobias R. Keller, and Dan Angus at the International Communication Association virtual conference, 20-26 May 2020.
From Cable Niche to Social Media Success: International Engagement with Sky N...Axel Bruns
Long version of the paper presented by Simon Copland, Tim Graham, and Axel Bruns at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference, 12-16 Oct. 2021.
The Conversation on Facebook: Patterns of Dissemination in Australia and Angl...Axel Bruns
Long version of the video presented by Axel Bruns, Michelle Riedlinger, and Jean Burgess at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference, 12-16 Oct. 2021.
Shareworthiness and Motivated Reasoning in Hyper-Partisan News Sharing Behavi...Axel Bruns
Paper by Magdalena Wischnewski, Axel Bruns, and Tobias Keller, presented at the 2021 International Communication Association conference, 27-31 May 2021.
Presentation to European Parliament on fake news, changes in our media environment, and what can be done to ensure news and media serve our democracies, with links to underlying independent, evidence-based research.
A rapid increase in social networking services in recent years has enabled people to share and seek information effectively. Meanwhile, the openness and timeliness of social networking sites also allow for the rapid creating and dissemination of misinformation. As witnessed in recent incidents of fake news and rumors, misinformation escalates quickly and can impact social media users with undesirable consequences and wreak havoc instantaneously. Despite many people have been aware of that fake news and rumors are misleading the public and even compromising elections, the problem is not going away. In this tutorial, we will discuss how misinformation gains traction in the race for attention, introduce emerging challenges of identifying misinformation, present a comparative survey of current data mining research in tackling the challenges, and suggest available resources and point to directions for future work. http://www.public.asu.edu/~liangwu1/ICDM17MisinformationTutorial.html
Gatewatching 5: Weaponising Newssharing: ‘Fake News’ and Other MalinformationAxel Bruns
Lecture 5 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A., Harrington, S., & Hurcombe, E. (2021). Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories: Tracing Misinformation Trajectories from the Fringes to the Mainstream. In M. Lewis, E. Govender, & K. Holland (Eds.), Communicating COVID-19: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (pp. 229–249). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79735-5_12
The Anatomy of Virality: How COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Spread across Socia...Axel Bruns
Keynote by Axel Bruns, with Edward Hurcombe and Stephen Harrington, presented at the International Center for Journalists' Empowering the Truth Summit, 23 Feb. 2023.
Sharing, Spamming, Sockpuppeting: Comparing the Twitter Dissemination Careers...Axel Bruns
Paper presented by Axel Bruns, Tim Graham, Brenda Moon, Tobias R. Keller, and Dan Angus at the International Communication Association virtual conference, 20-26 May 2020.
From Cable Niche to Social Media Success: International Engagement with Sky N...Axel Bruns
Long version of the paper presented by Simon Copland, Tim Graham, and Axel Bruns at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference, 12-16 Oct. 2021.
The Conversation on Facebook: Patterns of Dissemination in Australia and Angl...Axel Bruns
Long version of the video presented by Axel Bruns, Michelle Riedlinger, and Jean Burgess at the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) conference, 12-16 Oct. 2021.
Shareworthiness and Motivated Reasoning in Hyper-Partisan News Sharing Behavi...Axel Bruns
Paper by Magdalena Wischnewski, Axel Bruns, and Tobias Keller, presented at the 2021 International Communication Association conference, 27-31 May 2021.
Presentation to European Parliament on fake news, changes in our media environment, and what can be done to ensure news and media serve our democracies, with links to underlying independent, evidence-based research.
A rapid increase in social networking services in recent years has enabled people to share and seek information effectively. Meanwhile, the openness and timeliness of social networking sites also allow for the rapid creating and dissemination of misinformation. As witnessed in recent incidents of fake news and rumors, misinformation escalates quickly and can impact social media users with undesirable consequences and wreak havoc instantaneously. Despite many people have been aware of that fake news and rumors are misleading the public and even compromising elections, the problem is not going away. In this tutorial, we will discuss how misinformation gains traction in the race for attention, introduce emerging challenges of identifying misinformation, present a comparative survey of current data mining research in tackling the challenges, and suggest available resources and point to directions for future work. http://www.public.asu.edu/~liangwu1/ICDM17MisinformationTutorial.html
Gatewatching 5: Weaponising Newssharing: ‘Fake News’ and Other MalinformationAxel Bruns
Lecture 5 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A., Harrington, S., & Hurcombe, E. (2021). Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories: Tracing Misinformation Trajectories from the Fringes to the Mainstream. In M. Lewis, E. Govender, & K. Holland (Eds.), Communicating COVID-19: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (pp. 229–249). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79735-5_12
The Anatomy of Virality: How COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Spread across Socia...Axel Bruns
Keynote by Axel Bruns, with Edward Hurcombe and Stephen Harrington, presented at the International Center for Journalists' Empowering the Truth Summit, 23 Feb. 2023.
Prof Vian Bakir on COVID-19 as a global risk issue, suffused with uncertainty. On an inadequate foundation of knowledge about the virus, and with high potential for societal mood swings, governments across the world are instructing their citizens to engage in profound and rapid behaviour change (e.g. lockdowns, social distancing, better hygiene) in what can be characterised as a post-truth universe. The World Health Organisation announced in mid-February 2020 that the new COVID-19 pandemic is accompanied by a ‘massive “infodemic” - an over-abundance of information – some accurate and some not – that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it’. This talk discusses the scale and character of COVID-19 false information, and considers a range of multi-stakeholder solutions available to solve the ‘wicked problem’ of eliminating the spread and impact of false information on COVID-19.
Changes in the Approach of Polish Journalists’ Use of Social Media Caused by ...Dariusz Tworzydło
The article aims to identify and define the changes that are taking place in the approach of Polish journalists to the use of social media and forms of communication between journalists and PR specialists, taking into account changes related to COVID-19. The research in the area of methodology development, tool design, implementation of the adopted assumptions, and report preparation was carried out by the Polish Press Agency in Warsaw (PPA - polish state news agency) and the authors. The result of the survey is 316 questionnaires completed by journalists. During analyses, CATI research was used. The presented results are representative of the journalistic community and allow for extrapolation to the entire population of journalists and media workers in Poland. It was found that the importance of information and its consumption had increased. The situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the work of Polish journalists publishing their content on social media, which results directly from the significant changes that have affected this medium. An increase in the speed of its spread was also observed. These factors negatively affect the quality of information and its credibility, resulting in fake news. The article presents tools supporting journalists in the fight against disinformation and fake news - which were particularly intense during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 amenaza con convertirse en una de las pruebas más difíciles que enfrenta la humanidad en la historia moderna. Como
la pandemia se ha extendido se ha cobrado vidas, ha provocado ansiedad y drama político, ha abrumado la salud
sistemas, y provocó un cambio geopolítico potencialmente duradero. El Fondo Monetario Internacional dice que
La economía mundial se enfrenta ahora a su peor recesión desde la Gran Depresión, y Oxfam Internacional ha
advirtió que 500 millones de personas podrían caer en la pobreza como resultado de la crisis en curso. Alrededor
En el mundo, se están realizando esfuerzos desesperados para contener lo que se ha convertido en un brote profundamente perturbador.
Investigating Social Media Role in Crisis Communication Case of Hoatiti News ...ijtsrd
Social media has the capacity to inform, educate, entertain and confuse citizens simultaneously because of its deep imbeddedness within communities. This is because social media is readily available to most community members and news production is done surpassing and bypassing filters that humper and debilitate quick production and dissemination of news by mainstream media such as the traditional gate keeping parameters like political correctness and editorial policies. However, social media is regarded with scepticism in some quarters of the news production industry due to its disregard for ethical practice as well as disrespect for sensibilities related to tradition and culture that separate humans from the larger and general animal world. This study therefore sought to investigate the virtues of social media that have elevated the speed and limitless opportunities for Covd 19 news sharing in Lesotho with specific reference to Hoatiti news outlet. The study interviewed news consumers, practising journalists, journalism students and lecturers to establish their views on Hoatiti news coverage of the Covid 19 pandemic. The findings were presented and analysed thematically. Tawanda Mukurunge | Tawanda Wallace Mataka | Takura Bhila "Investigating Social Media Role in Crisis Communication: Case of Hoatiti News Reporting of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Lesotho" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd46315.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/journalism/46315/investigating-social-media-role-in-crisis-communication-case-of-hoatiti-news-reporting-of-the-covid19-pandemic-in-lesotho/tawanda-mukurunge
Second marcomm plan for The Security Demographic: Population and Civil Confli...Tawana Jacobs, APR
Marketing communications plan prepared to support the continued distribution in Population Action International's inaugural Security Demographic publication.
The Role of Communication In COVID-19 Crisis Management: Findings about Infor...CSCJournals
Given the different levels of pandemic severity in Germany and Italy, the paper investigates the differences in information behavior, and its consequences, between German and Italian young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the first and second waves of infections in the two countries. In particular, the issue of crisis management through institutional communication, the development of information behavior and information consumption throughout the year 2020 are analyzed through a questionnaire-based case study considering the constructs topic fatigue, trust in government sources and vaccination hesitancy. The paper reveals that there are considerable differences in time spent looking for information, with Italian respondents generally spending more time in these activities. Surprisingly, Italian respondents seem to place more trust in their government and institutions than Germans do. Vaccination hesitancy is estimated as higher in Germany than in Italy. People who feel less informed are also less likely to get a vaccination when offered the possibility, moreover, the perception of risk of infection plays a major role in vaccination acceptance. From the point of view of public management, findings of this work highlight the knowledge of citizens’ information behavior and habits as relevant to the design of communication campaigns to address health crises.
Types of Polarisation and Their Operationalisation in Digital and Social Medi...Axel Bruns
Paper by Axel Bruns, Tariq Choucair, Katharina Esau, Sebastian Svegaard, and Samantha Vilkins, presented at the Association of Internet Researchers conference, Philadelphia, 18 Oct. 2023.
Determining the Drivers and Dynamics of Partisanship and Polarisation in Onli...Axel Bruns
Paper by Axel Bruns, Katharina Esau, Tariq Choucair, Sebastian Svegaard, and Samantha Vilkins, presented at the ECREA Political Communication conference in Berlin, 1 Sep. 2023.
Towards a New Empiricism: Polarisation across Four DimensionsAxel Bruns
Paper by Axel Bruns, Tariq Choucair, Katharina Esau, Sebastian Svegaard, and Samantha Vilkins, presented at the IAMCR 2023 conference, Lyon, 9-13 July 2023.
A Platform Policy Implementation Audit of Actions against Russia’s State-Cont...Axel Bruns
Paper by Sofya Glazunova, Anna Ryzhova, Axel Bruns, Silvia Ximena Montaña-Niño, Arista Beseler, and Ehsan Dehghan, presented at the International Communication Association conference, Toronto, 29 May 2023.
The Filter in Our (?) Heads: Digital Media and PolarisationAxel Bruns
Invited presentation in a seminar series organised by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy & Global Governance at the University of Canberra, the QUT Digital Media Research Centre, and the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra.
Gatewatching 10: New(s) Publics in the Public SphereAxel Bruns
Lecture 10 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A. (2018). New(s) Publics in the Public Sphere. Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere. Ch. 8. Peter Lang.
Gatewatching 4: Random Acts of Gatewatching: Everyday Newssharing PracticesAxel Bruns
Lecture 4 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A. (2018). Random Acts of Gatewatching: Everyday Newssharing Practices. Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere. Ch. 4. Peter Lang.
Gatewatching 11: Echo Chambers? Filter Bubbles? Reviewing the EvidenceAxel Bruns
Lecture 11 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A. (2022). Echo Chambers? Filter Bubbles? The Misleading Metaphors That Obscure the Real Problem. In M. Pérez-Escolar & J. M. Noguera-Vivo (Eds.), Hate Speech and Polarization in Participatory Society (pp. 33–48). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003109891-4
Gatewatching 1: Introduction: What’s So Different about Journalism Today?Axel Bruns
Lecture 1 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A. (2018). Introduction. Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere. Ch. 1. Peter Lang.
Lecture 8 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A. (2018). Hybrid News Coverage: Liveblogs. Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere. Ch. 7. Peter Lang.
Gatewatching 2: From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: The First Wave of Citizen M...Axel Bruns
Lecture 2 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Bruns, A. (2018). From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: The First Wave of Citizen Media. Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere. Ch. 2. Peter Lang.
Gatewatching 9: ‘Real’ News and ‘Fake’ News: Fact-Checking and Media LiteracyAxel Bruns
Lecture 9 in the course From Gatekeeping to Gatewatching: News and Journalism in the Digital Age.
This lecture series addresses the continuing transformation of the production and consumption of journalism in the contemporary media environment. It provides a brief history of the impact of participatory online news production and engagement practices – from the first wave of citizen journalism to the social media platforms of today – on how news content is disseminated and experienced; examines reactive and proactive responses to these changes by news organisations and journalists; and explores the longer-term impact of these developments on the public sphere, touching on the power of social media platforms and their role in shaping their users’ information diets.
Readings are largely drawn from Gatewatching and News Curation: Journalism, Social Media, and the Public Sphere (Bruns, 2018), with additional readings recommended for selected lectures.
Reading for this lecture:
Graves, L., & Cherubini, F. (2016). The Rise of Fact-Checking Sites in Europe. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d55ef650-e351-4526-b942-6c9e00129ad7
Your Path to YouTube Stardom Starts HereSocioCosmos
Skyrocket your YouTube presence with Sociocosmos' proven methods. Gain real engagement and build a loyal audience. Join us now.
https://www.sociocosmos.com/product-category/youtube/
Surat Digital Marketing School is created to offer a complete course that is specifically designed as per the current industry trends. Years of experience has helped us identify and understand the graduate-employee skills gap in the industry. At our school, we keep up with the pace of the industry and impart a holistic education that encompasses all the latest concepts of the Digital world so that our graduates can effortlessly integrate into the assigned roles.
This is the place where you become a Digital Marketing Expert.
Project Serenity is an innovative initiative aimed at transforming urban environments into sustainable, self-sufficient communities. By integrating green architecture, renewable energy, smart technology, sustainable transportation, and urban farming, Project Serenity seeks to minimize the ecological footprint of cities while enhancing residents' quality of life. Key components include energy-efficient buildings, IoT-enabled resource management, electric and autonomous transportation options, green spaces, and robust waste management systems. Emphasizing community engagement and social equity, Project Serenity aspires to serve as a global model for creating eco-friendly, livable urban spaces that harmonize modern conveniences with environmental stewardship.
The Evolution of SEO: Insights from a Leading Digital Marketing AgencyDigital Marketing Lab
Explore the latest trends in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and discover how modern practices are transforming business visibility. This document delves into the shift from keyword optimization to user intent, highlighting key trends such as voice search optimization, artificial intelligence, mobile-first indexing, and the importance of E-A-T principles. Enhance your online presence with expert insights from Digital Marketing Lab, your partner in maximizing SEO performance.
Telegram is a messaging platform that ushers in a new era of communication. Available for Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux, Telegram offers simplicity, privacy, synchronization across devices, speed, and powerful features. It allows users to create their own stickers with a user-friendly editor. With robust encryption, Telegram ensures message security and even offers self-destructing messages. The platform is open, with an API and source code accessible to everyone, making it a secure and social environment where groups can accommodate up to 200,000 members. Customize your messenger experience with Telegram's expressive features.
Your LinkedIn Success Starts Here.......SocioCosmos
In order to make a lasting impression on your sector, SocioCosmos provides customized solutions to improve your LinkedIn profile.
https://www.sociocosmos.com/product-category/linkedin/
This tutorial presentation provides a step-by-step guide on how to use Facebook, the popular social media platform. In simple and easy-to-understand language, this presentation explains how to create a Facebook account, connect with friends and family, post updates, share photos and videos, join groups, and manage privacy settings. Whether you're new to Facebook or just need a refresher, this presentation will help you navigate the features and make the most of your Facebook experience.
This tutorial presentation offers a beginner-friendly guide to using THREADS, Instagram's messaging app. It covers the basics of account setup, privacy settings, and explores the core features such as close friends lists, photo and video sharing, creative tools, and status updates. With practical tips and instructions, this tutorial will empower you to use THREADS effectively and stay connected with your close friends on Instagram in a private and engaging way.
EASY TUTORIAL OF HOW TO USE G-TEAMS BY: FEBLESS HERNANEFebless Hernane
Using Google Teams (G-Teams) is simple. Start by opening the Google Teams app on your phone or visiting the G-Teams website on your computer. Sign in with your Google account. To join a meeting, click on the link shared by the organizer or enter the meeting code in the "Join a Meeting" section. To start a meeting, click on "New Meeting" and share the link with others. You can use the chat feature to send messages and the video button to turn your camera on or off. G-Teams makes it easy to connect and collaborate with others!
EASY TUTORIAL OF HOW TO USE G-TEAMS BY: FEBLESS HERNANE
Covering Conspiracy: Mainstream and Fringe Reporting of the COVID/5G Conspiracy Theory
1. COVERING CONSPIRACY:
MAINSTREAM AND FRINGE
REPORTING OF THE COVID/5G
CONSPIRACY THEORY
Edward Hurcombe, Axel Bruns, & Stephen
Harrington
@EddyFHurc @snurb_dot_info
2. BACKGROUND
As COVID went global in early 2020, conspiracy
theories about the ‘real’ origins of the pandemic
spread online – an “infodemic” paralleling the virus
itself (United Nations, 2020)
One theory, especially, gained traction during the
early months of the pandemic – the (entirely
unfounded) claim that 5G mobile telephony worsened
or even spread the caused the coronavirus.
4. Fringe actors and outlets played an initial role in
disseminating the COVID/5G conspiracy on platforms
(Bruns et al, 2020).
But we know that mainstream media outlets can amplify
conspiracies and conspiracists, too (Donovan & boyd, 2021; Phillips,
2018; Boykoff & Boykoff, 2004):
5. Covering conspiracies presents difficult editorial
choices for news outlets – as it can make mis- and
disinformation accessible to much larger and more
diverse audiences. It also remains susceptible to the
‘backfire effect’ (see Nyhan & Reifler, 2010).
In this presentation, we illustrate these
dilemmas and examine the editorial
choices made by diverse mainstream
and fringe outlets in the context of the
5G/COVID conspiracy.
6. METHODS
We drew on online article data from the global news database
GDELT (Leetaru & Schrodt, 2013). We focused on articles that
referenced the pandemic and 5G together in their headlines or
URLs. Timeframe: early Feb-early April.
We removed false positives as well as GDELT results from non-
news and non-existent URLS, leaving us with a dataset of 1,871
fringe and mainstream news articles.
This dataset was then manually coded for a range of criteria
including: country of origin; type of news site; central theme of
the article; treatment of the conspiracy theory; and primary
sources cited.
7.
8. PHASE 1: STOKING THE CONSPIRACY (1
JAN – 15 MARCH 2020)
First phase of coverage (43 articles in total) dominated by fringe, US-
based outlets that promoted the conspiracy theory.
Also included were news outlets from Italy, the site of Europe’s most
severe early COVID outbreak: while coverage here came largely from
mainstream sites, they also tended to include direct quotes from the
conspiracy theorists themselves.
Lastly, 10 articles – largely from specialist technology and business
news sites – sought to fact-check the conspiracists’ claims.
9. PHASE 2: CELEBRITY
SUPERSPREADERS (16-31 MARCH 2020)
Second phase (98 articles) saw a substantial shift in the tone and focus of
news coverage. Most are US-based.
• Celebrity endorsements of COVID/5G conspiracy (e.g., from singer Keri
Hilson). Due to this, significant increase in coverage from entertainment and
lifestyle outlets (13%).
• 52% of articles in this phase contain direct quotes of conspiracists or of
Hilson’s social media posts.
• Wide circulation of this coverage on social media, reaching a substantial
audience – well beyond the very limited reach of the conspiracist sites
themselves (Bruns et al, 2020)
• However, this growth in coverage also sees an increase in fact-checking
articles (31%).
Critical questions about how to report on conspiracist celebrities
began to emerge.
10. PHASE 3: REPORTING THE ARSON
ATTACKS (1-12 APRIL 2020)
1,729 articles during this phase (92% of our dataset), which
covers the period of arson attacks against 5G towers in the UK
and elsewhere.
• 35% of articles cover the attacks on towers and technicians.
• 23% cover the spread of COVID/5G conspiracies more
generally.
• 11% focus on government responses.
• The period also sees more celebrity endorsements (Woody
Harrelson; Amir Khan), accounting for 11% of total articles in
this period.
11. PHASE 3: REPORTING THE ARSON
ATTACKS (1-12 APRIL 2020)
• Also a reduction in direct quoting: 76% of all articles simply report
on events without amplifying conspiracists.
• Coverage dominated by mainstream news (47%), local news (31%),
and specialist news (14%) – could explain the above?
• Lastly, regional differences: e.g., more official quoting in UK than US.
12. KEY TAKEAWAYS
The immediate impact of conspiracist sites is limited
Celebrities can become superspreaders
‘Soft’ newsbeats are journalism’s weak spot
The right time to respond to mis- and disinformation is…
when?
13. FURTHER RESEARCH
We could only speculate about decisions and decision-
making.
Further research – perhaps post-pandemic – would be
valuable in retracing decision- making processes
during early 2020, and ideally would include interviews
with journalists, editors, spokespeople, and other
decision-makers.
14. THANK YOU!
Contact:
Edward Hurcombe (e.hurcombe@qut.edu.au; @EddyFHurc)
Axel Bruns (a.bruns@qut.edu.au; @snurb_dot_info)
Stephen Harrington (s.harrington@qut.edu.au; @_StephenH)
15. REFERENCES
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Change 14: 125-136.
Bruns, Axel, Stephen Harrington, and Edward Hurcombe. 2020. “‘Corona? 5G? Or Both?’: The Dynamics of COVID-19/5G Conspiracy
Theories on Facebook.” Media International Australia 177: 12–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X20946113.
Donovan, Joan, and danah boyd. (2021). “Stop the Presses?: Moving from Strategic Silence to Strategic Amplification in a
Networked Media Ecosystem.” American Behavioral Scientist 65(2): 333-350.
Leetaru, Kalev, and Philip A. Schrodt. (2013). “GDELT: Global Data on Events, Location, and Tone, 1979-2012.” International Studies
Association, San Francisco.
Nyhan, Brendan, and Jason Reifler. 2010. “When Corrections Fail: The Persistence of Political Misperceptions.” Political Behaviour
32: 303-330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-010-9112-2
Phillips, Whitney. 2018. The Oxygen of Amplification: Better Practices for Reporting on Extremists, Antagonists, and Manipulators
Online. Data & Society Research Institute.
Tuchman, Gaye. (1978). Making News: A Study in the Construction of Reality. New York: The Free Press.
United Nations. 2020a. “UN Tackles ‘Infodemic’ of Misinformation and Cybercrime in COVID-19 Crisis.” 31 March.
https://www.un.org/en/un-coronavirus-communications-team/un-tackling-%E2%80%98infodemic%E2%80%99-misinformation-
and-cybercrime-covid-19.
Editor's Notes
Hi everyone, my name is Edward Hurcombe. Today, I’ll be presenting research that me and my colleagues Axel Bruns and Stephen Harrington have done on how news outlets have covered covid-19 conspiracy theories. More specifically: we’ll be examining the coverage of the covid-19/5G conspiracy theory, one of the most significant conspiracies that gained mainstream attention during the early months of the pandemic.
So first, a bit of background.
As covid went global early last year, conspiracy theories about the ‘real’ origins of the pandemic spread online – leading the WHO to declare the spread of such misinformation an “infodemic” that paralleled the virus itself.
One theory, especially, gained traction during this time – the entirely unfounded claim that 5G mobile towers were worsening or even causing the spread of the coronavirus.
This theory gained so much attention that, by April 2020, 5G towers were being set alight in a number of European countries.
Unsurprisingly, fringe actors and conspiracy outlets played an early role in disseminating the covid-5G conspiracy on platforms.
But we know that mainstream media outlets can amplify conspiracies and conspiracists, too – and during early 2020, many outlets took a sensationalistic approach to reporting on the conspiracy, greatly increasing the visibility of the bogus 5G conspiracies beyond fringe spaces.
Covering conspiracies therefore presents difficult choices for news outlets, as it can mis- and disinformation visible to much larger and diverse audiences. Even when the coverage is negative, it can also harden conspiracist views, by confirming their suspicions of mainstream sources.
In the rest of this presentation, I’ll illustrate these dilemmas and examine the editorial choices made by diverse mainstream and fringe outlets during these early months of the covid-5G conspiracy.
To do this research, me and my colleagues drew on article data from the global news database GDELT. We focused on articles that referenced the pandemic and 5G together in their headlines or URLs. We chose our timeframe as beginning in early February, just as the global pandemic was starting, to early April, soon after the 5G mobile tower attacks.
After removing false positives and broken links, we were left with a dataset of almost 1,900 fringe and mainstream news articles.
This dataset was then manually coded according to a range of criteria, including: country of origin, type of news suite, central theme of the article, treatment of the conspiracy, and the sources cited.
And here’s our timeline – this timeline shows the number of articles produced per day that mentioned covid-19 and 5G. As you can see, articles containing those keywords really started to pick up in late March and early April, peaking around the 5G tower attacks.
In light of this, we have divided this timeframe into three distinct period, which I will run through now.
The first phase, from 1 January to 15 March, was dominated largely by fringe, US-based outlets that promoted the conspiracy theory.
Otherwise, most articles during this phase were fact-checks from specialist technology and business news sites.
Phase 2 covers the period from 16-31 March, and it was during this time that we saw a substantiable shift in the tone and focus of news coverage.
In particular, there was a significant growth in coverage of the conspiracy from entertainment and lifestyle outlets – music and celebrity news sites, in particular. This was due to a number of high-profile endorsements from celebrities. Most notably here in the US singer Keri Hilson, who endorsed the conspiracy on Twitter.
We found that more than half of articles in our dataset that covered Hilson’s social media posts directly quoted Hilson and other conspiracists. We also know from our other research that this coverage of Hilson’s posts had a wide circulation on Facebook, beyond the very limited reach of the conspiracist sites from Phase 1.
At the same time, there was also a growth in fact-checking articles.
Still, we can already see some critical questions emerging about if and how to report on conspiracist celebrities.
Lastly, it is in phase 3 – covering the period of early April – that sees the most activity. The vast majority of our dataset lies in this period, nearly all of it coverage of the attacks on 5G towers in the UK and elsewhere.
Alongside the coverage of the attacks were a lot of articles covering official responses to those attacks.
Notably, most of this coverage was from mainstream and local news outlets – and, in contrast to earlier phases, there was a significant reduction in direct quotation of conspiracists.
Which all leads us to some key takeaways.
Firstly, our dataset suggested that the immediate impact of conspiracist sites was limited. Conspiracist sites may have played a role in seeding the 5G conspiracy, but it was not until celebrities began endorsing the conspiracy in mid-March that the conspiracy started getting significant attention from news outlets and on social media.
Due to this, our dataset indicates that celebrities can become ‘superspreaders’ of misinformation – and therefore soft news beats, like entertainment lifestyle journalism, can have a major responsibility to not amplify these conspiracist claims. Our dataset indicates that instead of meeting that responsibility, these ‘soft’ newsbeats can be journalism’s weakspot for misinformation. This could because these beats treat what celebrities do as inherently newsworthy – even more so when celebrity behaviour is sensational.
Lastly, critical questions emerged about when it was the right time to respond to mis- and disinformation – official responses from governments and fact-checks from journalists became much more frequent in mid-April, but this was already too late to prevent arson attacks. And yet, earlier responses in February and March may have further amplified conspiracists…
In this paper, we could only speculate about decisions and decision-making.Further research would therefore be valuable in retracing decision-making processes during early 2020, and ideally would include interviews would journalists, editors, and spokespeople.