- Claire Wardle is an expert on online misinformation and disinformation. She provides training to journalists on how to identify and verify misinformation, especially as it relates to the 2020 US election.
- Wardle discusses the different types of misinformation including disinformation (knowingly false information spread to cause harm), misinformation (false information spread unintentionally), and malinformation (genuine information spread to cause harm).
- She notes the tactics of spreading misinformation are evolving since 2016, moving away from fabricated content toward misleading use of genuine information spread out of context. Wardle emphasizes the shared responsibility of platforms, government, journalists, and the public to address the spread of online misinformation.
What is 'fake news', why it matters and what we can do to help curb it. How do we build brands in a post-truth era? How to build emotional connections, respond in a crisis and power start-ups with social media
What is 'fake news', why it matters and what we can do to help curb it. How do we build brands in a post-truth era? How to build emotional connections, respond in a crisis and power start-ups with social media
Brian Housand, Ph.D.
brianhousand.com
@brianhousand
In 2006, we first learned that even the brightest students were easily fooled by internet hoaxes like the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. While we tried to laugh this off as the folly of misguided youth, a decade later we witnessed the rise of fake news and its impact on the “post-truth” world of 2016 overrun by an ever-growing network of social media. To fight for truth, justice, and yes, even the American way, this session presents a collection of superhero-themed critical thinking activities designed to empower you and your students to conquer the evils of fake news.
FAKE INFORMATION & WORD-OF-MOUTH BEHAVIORDisha Ghoshal
As part of an assignment of a course in Brand Management taught by well renowned Prof. Sridhar Samu and S Bhardwaj who are ace in the field of Market Research and Brand Management and teach at Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai
Information was complied by the data available on the Internet, personal interviews, a social experiment and I have tried my best to maintain correctness and credits as much as possible.
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.
I was recently asked to put together a presentation on the fake news phenomenon for discussions with leading journalists and media institutions in a developing country, with extremely poor media literacy but strong growth around social media use, on how to both identify misleading content and also stem its flow, reach and influence.
Download the full presentation as a PowerPoint (with embedded videos) or as an Apple Keynote file, here - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxbk4wYolphwcVk4bV85aEFtYXc
For this research paper we had to give our opinion about how Social Media is either helpful or hurtful for society. We were assigned to either research the helpful or hurtful side. The side I was given to research was the hurtful side.
Handling fake news and eyewitness mediaAlastair Reid
How to debunk hoaxes effectively, deal with graphic images and understand copyright on social media – as presented at the 2016 Online News Association annual conference
DR DON GRANT - UNPLUG TO RECONNECT: HEALTHY DEVICE MANAGEMENT & THE PRACTICE ...iCAADEvents
Millennial technology pro ers previously unimaginable opportunities which have forever changed much of our daily lives. Conversely, technology and devices have also become the newest and most potentially dangerous “drugs of choice”. Those struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental, emotional or behavioural issues seem to be at an even greater risk for technology “addiction”. Recent research has indicated that it can lower relationship and life satisfaction in couples. Similarly, adolescents who struggled with device management had lower levels of self esteem and were more likely to manifest social anxiety disorders. Dr. Grant will explore this newest nemesis currently growing to seemingly pandemic global proportions, illustrating both the positive and potentially negative e ects of technology, and o er strategies and skills to help promote healthy device management and to practice good “Digital Citizenship.”
We are living in the ear of post-truth. After the surge of fake news stories during the 2016 U.S. elections, several initiatives have been introduced to mitigate the problem like fact-checker organization, artificial intelligence and government aggressive measures. All this are promising, but are we really winning the battle against disinformation?
Reveal & Reduce the threat of Deep Fake Technologystuwilson.co.uk
We've moved from no concern over our privacy to unabashed openness back to an acute awareness of the value of how our actions can in-turn affect us when we give it up to corporations and platforms. There is an awakening to that responsibility in the mainstream due to Facebook data breaches and the vulnerability of it's systems to manipulation, not to mention awareness of how the algorithm works in filter bubbling. This potential context collapse is related to themes of trust, identity and reality - what is real and what is fake? Now there is the proliferation of 'Deep-fake' technology what can we do to protect ourselves against attacks on democracy and if we can longer tell the difference between counterfeit and authenticity where does that leave us?
Detailed Research on Fake News: Opportunities, Challenges and MethodsMilap Bhanderi
This paper is submitted at Dalhousie University for Technology Innovation course as a deliverable. This paper focuses on the opportunities, challenges and methods for Fake news.
Media literacy in the age of information overloadGmeconline
We live in the most interesting times as far as the media is concerned. In fact as I approach the topic.These lines from Charles Dickens signifying the scenario of the French revolution came instantly to my mind – yes there is an upheaval going on in the media too..and it is marked with opposing views on the continuum-... Read More
Sample essay on communication aspects. College Essay: Essay about communication skills. Means of communication essay free - kidsa.web.fc2.com. Formidable Importance Of Communication Essay Free ~ Thatsnotus. Calaméo - Effective Communication Essay Writing: Helpful Topic Ideas. Why communication is important essay - writingemails.x.fc2.com. Communication essay sample from assignmentsupport.com essay writing s…. ESSAY ON IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN TODAY’S WORLD .... (PDF) Writing a 'Short Communication'. A for and against essay about online communication | LearnEnglish Teens .... Essays effective communication. Effective Communication Essay | 1806NRS - Communicating Effectively .... Essay on why communication is important. Essay on Communication | Communication Essay for Students and Children .... Communication Essay | Psychology - Year 12 WACE | Thinkswap. Expository Essay: Communication reflective essay. Write an essay on Communication | Essay Writing | English - YouTube. Communication essay... Wonderful Communication Essay ~ Thatsnotus. Promote effective communication individuals essays. 011 Essay Example Largepreview Importance Of Communication ~ Thatsnotus Essay Communication Essay Communication
Brian Housand, Ph.D.
brianhousand.com
@brianhousand
In 2006, we first learned that even the brightest students were easily fooled by internet hoaxes like the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. While we tried to laugh this off as the folly of misguided youth, a decade later we witnessed the rise of fake news and its impact on the “post-truth” world of 2016 overrun by an ever-growing network of social media. To fight for truth, justice, and yes, even the American way, this session presents a collection of superhero-themed critical thinking activities designed to empower you and your students to conquer the evils of fake news.
FAKE INFORMATION & WORD-OF-MOUTH BEHAVIORDisha Ghoshal
As part of an assignment of a course in Brand Management taught by well renowned Prof. Sridhar Samu and S Bhardwaj who are ace in the field of Market Research and Brand Management and teach at Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai
Information was complied by the data available on the Internet, personal interviews, a social experiment and I have tried my best to maintain correctness and credits as much as possible.
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.
I was recently asked to put together a presentation on the fake news phenomenon for discussions with leading journalists and media institutions in a developing country, with extremely poor media literacy but strong growth around social media use, on how to both identify misleading content and also stem its flow, reach and influence.
Download the full presentation as a PowerPoint (with embedded videos) or as an Apple Keynote file, here - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxbk4wYolphwcVk4bV85aEFtYXc
For this research paper we had to give our opinion about how Social Media is either helpful or hurtful for society. We were assigned to either research the helpful or hurtful side. The side I was given to research was the hurtful side.
Handling fake news and eyewitness mediaAlastair Reid
How to debunk hoaxes effectively, deal with graphic images and understand copyright on social media – as presented at the 2016 Online News Association annual conference
DR DON GRANT - UNPLUG TO RECONNECT: HEALTHY DEVICE MANAGEMENT & THE PRACTICE ...iCAADEvents
Millennial technology pro ers previously unimaginable opportunities which have forever changed much of our daily lives. Conversely, technology and devices have also become the newest and most potentially dangerous “drugs of choice”. Those struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental, emotional or behavioural issues seem to be at an even greater risk for technology “addiction”. Recent research has indicated that it can lower relationship and life satisfaction in couples. Similarly, adolescents who struggled with device management had lower levels of self esteem and were more likely to manifest social anxiety disorders. Dr. Grant will explore this newest nemesis currently growing to seemingly pandemic global proportions, illustrating both the positive and potentially negative e ects of technology, and o er strategies and skills to help promote healthy device management and to practice good “Digital Citizenship.”
We are living in the ear of post-truth. After the surge of fake news stories during the 2016 U.S. elections, several initiatives have been introduced to mitigate the problem like fact-checker organization, artificial intelligence and government aggressive measures. All this are promising, but are we really winning the battle against disinformation?
Reveal & Reduce the threat of Deep Fake Technologystuwilson.co.uk
We've moved from no concern over our privacy to unabashed openness back to an acute awareness of the value of how our actions can in-turn affect us when we give it up to corporations and platforms. There is an awakening to that responsibility in the mainstream due to Facebook data breaches and the vulnerability of it's systems to manipulation, not to mention awareness of how the algorithm works in filter bubbling. This potential context collapse is related to themes of trust, identity and reality - what is real and what is fake? Now there is the proliferation of 'Deep-fake' technology what can we do to protect ourselves against attacks on democracy and if we can longer tell the difference between counterfeit and authenticity where does that leave us?
Detailed Research on Fake News: Opportunities, Challenges and MethodsMilap Bhanderi
This paper is submitted at Dalhousie University for Technology Innovation course as a deliverable. This paper focuses on the opportunities, challenges and methods for Fake news.
Media literacy in the age of information overloadGmeconline
We live in the most interesting times as far as the media is concerned. In fact as I approach the topic.These lines from Charles Dickens signifying the scenario of the French revolution came instantly to my mind – yes there is an upheaval going on in the media too..and it is marked with opposing views on the continuum-... Read More
Sample essay on communication aspects. College Essay: Essay about communication skills. Means of communication essay free - kidsa.web.fc2.com. Formidable Importance Of Communication Essay Free ~ Thatsnotus. Calaméo - Effective Communication Essay Writing: Helpful Topic Ideas. Why communication is important essay - writingemails.x.fc2.com. Communication essay sample from assignmentsupport.com essay writing s…. ESSAY ON IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN TODAY’S WORLD .... (PDF) Writing a 'Short Communication'. A for and against essay about online communication | LearnEnglish Teens .... Essays effective communication. Effective Communication Essay | 1806NRS - Communicating Effectively .... Essay on why communication is important. Essay on Communication | Communication Essay for Students and Children .... Communication Essay | Psychology - Year 12 WACE | Thinkswap. Expository Essay: Communication reflective essay. Write an essay on Communication | Essay Writing | English - YouTube. Communication essay... Wonderful Communication Essay ~ Thatsnotus. Promote effective communication individuals essays. 011 Essay Example Largepreview Importance Of Communication ~ Thatsnotus Essay Communication Essay Communication
Prebunking and Debunking in Fact-checking211 Check
Prebunking and Debunking in Fact-checking is a presentation by Emmanuel Bida Thomas at a webinar organised by 211 Check with support from the International Fact-checking Network.
This PDF file discusses the concepts of prebunking and debunking as methods of countering the spread of misinformation and false information. Prebunking refers to the practice of raising people's awareness of likely misinformation before they encounter it, while debunking occurs after false information has already been shared. The PDF also discusses different types of interventions that can be used to address misinformation at both individual and system levels.
Misinformation, Disinformation & Hate speech
Tackling Misinformation,
Disinformation, and Hate Speech:
Empowering South Sudanese Youth, a presentation by Emmanuel Bida Thomas a fact-checker at 211 Check a fact-checking and information verification platform in South Sudan dedicated to countering misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.
https://iexaminer.org/fake-news-personal-responsibility-must-trump-intellectual-laziness/
Fake news: Personal responsibility must trump intellectual laziness
By Matt Chan January 4, 2017
Where do you get your news? That question has become incredibly important given the results of our Presidential Election. How many times have you heard, “I read a news story on Facebook and …” The problem: Facebook is not a news service; it’s a “social media” site whose purpose is to connect like-minded friends and family, to provide you with social connections, and online entertainment.
For Asian Americans social media provides an important and useful way of connecting socially and in some cases politically, but there is a downside. The downside is how social media actually works. These sites employ elaborate algorithms to track and analyze your posts, likes, and dislikes to provide you with a custom experience unique to you. The truth is you are being marketed to, not informed. What looks like news, is not really news, it’s personal validation. All in an attempt to keep you on the site longer, to click a few more things, to make you feel good about what you’re reading. It makes it seem like most people agree with you because you’re only fed information and stories that validate your worldview.
On the other hand, real news is hard work. Its fact-based information presented by people who have checked, researched, and documented what they are presenting as the truth. Real news can be verified.
“Fake News” is, well, fake, often times entirely made-up or containing a hint of truth. Social media was largely responsible for pushing “fake news” stories that were entirely made up to drive clicks on websites. These clicks in turn generated money for the people promoting the stories. The more outrageous the story, the more clicks, the more revenue. When you factor in the algorithms that feed you what you like, you can clearly see the more “fake news” you consume on social media, the more is pushed your way. There’s an abundance of pseudo news sites that merely re-post and curate existing stories, adding their bias to validate their audience’s beliefs, no matter how crazy or mainstream. It is curated solely for you. Now factor in that nearly 44% of Americans obtain some or most of their news from social media and you have a very toxic mix.
The mainstream news media has also fallen into this validation trap. You have one news network that solely reflects the right wing, others that take the view of the left-center leaning, and what is lost are the facts and context, the balance we need to evaluate, learn, and understand the world. People seeking fact-based journalism lose, because the more extreme the media becomes to entice consumers with provocative headlines and click-bait to earn more money, the less their news is fact-based and becomes more opinion driven.
There was a time when fact-based reporting was required of broadcast news. It was called “The Fairness Doctrin ...
Week 5 Final DiscussionJustin Wick 11222016 45218 PM.docxcockekeshia
Week 5 Final Discussion
Justin Wick
11/22/2016 4:52:18 PM
The first effect I will discuss, is the belief-type effect. According to Potter (2014), "The media continually exert abelief-type effect by showing us the values used by people in the news and characters in fictional stories" (p. 295). This means that we observe the stories and characters we see, and base our lives around their values. That is why, so many shows have relatable characters. One good example of this, are classic shows, such as Leave it to Beaver and Happy Days. These shows created and showed, wholesome family values. By observing these values, people could pattern their lifestyles after the characters. In these types of shows, the characters are known to have manners and share good family values. The belief-type effect is used, to show the viewers what ideal family life is all about. A lot of today's popular programs, stray away from these wholesome values. I feel the belief-type effect, often helps to pattern our lives based on the programs we watch.
The second effect I will discuss, is the emotional-type effect. According to Potter (2014), "The media exert anemotional-type effect by making us feel things. They can trigger strong emotions such as fear, rage, and lust" (p. 283). The best example of this, is the news coverage of events occurring in the world. It is quite easy to see when you watch the news, you can feel the emotion and be touched by the stories you hear. Natural disasters are a great example, as they bring the emotion of fear and upset to many effected. The coverage of the recent election, caused a lot of emotions of anger and upset. These are just some examples, of how news stories can evoke an emotional reaction.
Reference
Potter, J. W. (2014). Media literacy (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Strategies
Cindy Harthorne
11/25/2016 11:59:16 AM
Strategies
By Cindy Harthorne
November 25, 2016
Unless one becomes a hermit, we must agree with Potter when he says, “You have little ability to avoid media exposures or their influences…but you have a good deal of potential to shape the influences of those messages…” (Potter, 2014, p 423). I had the gift of having a skeptical mother, who trained me in critical thinking when it comes to marketing, perhaps to make me feel better about the fact that we could not afford to purchase most of what was being marketed on television. Most of the following strategies will something I will continue doing throughout the course of my life.
1. Strengthen Your Personal Locus
Maintaining confidence in what I know to be true, and taking one step at a time, with unwavering commitment toward my personal goals, may not be easy, but it is what I do, and will continue to do. It is the best strategy.
2. Focus on Usefulness as a Goal
I plan to limit my exposure to media to those outlets that assist me in reaching my goals. In other words, I will use it for my purposes, instead of letting it use me for.
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This article is the antidote to news. It is long, and you probably won’t be able to skim it. Thanks to heavy news consumption, many people have lost the reading habit and struggle to absorb more than four pages straight.
This article will show you how to get out of this trap – if you are not already too deeply in it.
Redesign Media To Combat Fake News. By Adam Harrell. #RockitWAWDigiComNet
Adam Harrell is a Founder at Nebo Agency and Executive Director of Startup Atlanta where he is focused on growing, connecting and promoting the local startup ecosystem.
Similar to Demystifying Online Misinformation, with Dr. Claire Wardle, co-founder and Executive Chair of First Draft (11)
Moving Beyond Twitter/X and Facebook - Social Media for local news providersDamian Radcliffe
Slides from a workshop exploring "Moving Beyond Twitter/X and Facebook - Social Media for local news providers"
This presentation outlines social media habits in the US (and globally) and offers suggestions for how local newsrooms can tap into them.
The presentation features key data, user case studies and recommendations for new things to try out.
The presentation was part of the New York Press Association's 2024 spring conference.
https://nynewspapers.com/2024-nypa-spring-conference/
Slides from a workshop exploring "How is AI changing journalism?"
This presentation outlines how newsrooms have been using artificial intelligence (AI) for some time, and how the emergence of Generative AI is accelerating this usage. The presentation outlines use cases, key steps for implementation and some emerging areas and issues to keep an eye on.
The presentation was part of the New York Press Association's 2024 spring conference.
https://nynewspapers.com/2024-nypa-spring-conference/
Lessons from Community-Centered Journalism for Local Journalism ResearchDamian Radcliffe
Slides presented by Regina Lawrence - based on our research - at the 2024 Local Journalism Researchers’ Workshop, March 25-26, 2024 at Duke University. The presentation outlines key points from our research, including: why Community-Centered Journalism matters, the backdrop that it plays out against, and five key challenges for growing this journalistic practice.
After the sobering read seen in our 2022-23 report, this year’s World Press Trends study strikes a more cautiously optimistic note, with more than half of the respondents conveying a positive outlook about their companies’ business prospects for the foreseeable future.
This is despite publishers grappling with challenges on various fronts, including elevated inflation and interest rates, surging paper and printing expenses, continual shifts within advertising markets and audience behaviours, as well as wider geopolitical uncertainty reflected in conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, wider strategic challenges such as the surge of Generative AI, changing relationships with platforms and continued challenges to press freedom and freedom of expression, also continue to vex many journalists and publishers.
In response, news publishers are inevitably looking closely at their revenue strategy, investment priorities, areas of focus, cost management, and their stance on areas such as AI and other technologies. We delve into these themes extensively within this report.
This report is primarily based on the findings of an online survey distributed to WAN-IFRA members and other senior media executives between July and September 2023, and was available in four languages (English, French, Spanish and German).
Survey participants were typically members of the senior team at a newspaper or a newspaper group. Based on the information provided by our respondents, a third (66%) are C-Suite (CEOs, Publishers, Managing Directors). A further third is either a Commercial Director/Heads of Strategy or Executive Editor.
We received 175 complete responses from 60 nations around the world. Using classifications developed by the World Bank, 58% of respondents come from developed economies and 42% from developing economies. Our sample also features a wide range of different countries with respondents coming from countries as diverse as Argentina, Canada, Russia, and Indonesia. They also came from some of the world’s largest media markets, including Germany, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Through the data and insights that they provided, we are able to comprehend the attitudes of today’s industry leaders in a variety of business and editorial roles. Their observations, regarding the sector’s present and future, can be seen throughout this report.
As ever, we want to express our appreciation to everyone who participated in this annual survey. This report would not be possible without their contributions.
A huge thank you to all of our contributors: Damian Radcliffe, Dr. Francois Nel, and Teemu Henriksson. Last but not least, this report would not be possible without the support of our partner, Stibo DX.
Full CV/Resume as of March 2023, listing my previous experience, research and journalistic output, media mentions, speaking engagements and events/conferences that I have organized. (Produced for an academic audience, hence the length!)
Redefining News: A Manifesto for Community-Centered JournalismDamian Radcliffe
This forward-thinking report makes the case for embracing a more inclusive, community-focused model of journalism, one that prioritizes listening to and collaborating with communities to produce relevant, equitable and impactful news and storytelling. The report features an actionable framework to put the principles of Community-Centered Journalism into practice and explains how this approach differs from traditional models of journalism, with potential benefits including rebuilding trust, tackling inequities, and fostering civic engagement.
Building a Stronger Local Media Ecosystem: The Role of Media PolicyDamian Radcliffe
This paper plays out against a backdrop of continued closures and diminished local news reporting across much of the United States. It explores the role that media policy can and should play in supporting local journalism.
In examining this topic, we investigate three fundamental questions:
What is local media policy?
What are the key existential issues and/or problems local media policy must wrestle with?
What potential solutions to the local news crisis can media policy potentially help address?
The core of our response to these questions is derived from a series of five public webinars hosted by the Tow Center. Through these events, we invited a range of industry and academic experts to share their perspectives on areas related to these major themes.
Our conversations explored the scope of media policy, barriers to implementation, opportunities for policy to make a difference, and some of the unique characteristics that shape U.S. media policy and attitudes toward potential policy interventions.
To this, we have added further context and updates on some of the latest policy developments, based on a literature review and our continued interest in this subject.
The latest World Press Trends report shows that business sentiment in the industry has taken a downturn, in a context where multiple challenges face news publishers around the world. Yet there are causes for optimism, as revenue diversification progresses and publishers double down on new revenue sources and editorial products.
This year’s World Press Trends study makes for a sobering read after the optimism of our previous report. The mood in the industry has changed, and publishers find themselves in a more unpredictable business environment due to a number of challenges, including high levels of inflation, rising paper and print costs, as well as ongoing changes to advertising markets.
The change in business sentiment is one of the main findings of the new World Press Trends Outlook report. As in the previous years, the analysis is based on an online survey distributed to industry leaders. 167 news executives from 62 countries took part in the survey in Fall 2022 – a big thank you to them for sharing their insights, results and strategies.
WAN-IFRA also works with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Zenith for key performance indicators (global revenues and circulation). For audience insights, we work with analytics specialist Chartbeat. World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider.
Damian Radcliffe, longtime industry analyst, journalist and academic, authored most of the report, offering his analysis and context to the survey and emerging trends. Dr. Francois Nel, also a longtime analyst, well-known academic within our industry and longtime contributor to WPT, provided his analysis, contribution and data analysis of all our collected data. WAN-IFRA’s Andrew Heslop shared his analysis on our Press Freedom data, and WAN-IFRA’s Teemu Henriksson helped to coordinate the project along with Dean Roper.
Here is what makes up the core of the report:
Executive Summary
Methodology and Profile of Respondents
Chapter 1: Global snapshot of performance indicators
Chapter 2: Business Outlook
- Tougher times ahead
- Priming the profit pump
- Relationships with Platforms
- Digital Transformation
Chapter 3: Revenues
- Back in black
- Print’s continued importance
- Revenue diversification in practice
- A bumpier revenue road in 2023
- Ad advice Publishers, it’s all about controlling what you can control
Chapter 4: Investment and Expenditure
- Investing in Revenues
-Tech spending
- AI and publishers
- Costs and Outgoings
Report partner: How AI and automation solutions can impact newsrooms
Chapter 5: Media Freedom
Social Media in the Middle East 2022: A Year in ReviewDamian Radcliffe
Welcome to the latest annual study on Middle East Social Media Trends. This report, the eleventh in a series dating back to 2012, provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of social media in the Middle East. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of its kind, it is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the region's digital landscape.
In this report, we examine the most popular social media platforms and the ways in which people are using them. We explore the impact of social media on politics, business and culture in the region. Our findings will be of interest to anyone interested in how social media shapes the way we connect with one another, as well as the ways in which we consume and find information. These trends are relevant to marketers, journalists, brands and businesses, as well as government agencies and public bodies.
Over the past decade, the Middle East has seen a significant increase in social media adoption. Today, it boasts some of the highest penetration rates of social media in the world, making it a key market for platforms and businesses looking to engage with Arab audiences.
From staying in touch with friends and family to consuming news and entertainment, social media - as it is around the world - is an integral part of daily life in the region. Social media is also playing an increasingly important role in politics, with many politicians and activists using the platforms to connect with the public and mobilize support for their policies.
Damian Radcliffe is a journalist, researcher, and professor based at the University of Oregon.
He holds an endowed chair as the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, and he is also a Professor of Practice, an affiliate faculty member of the Department for Middle East and North Africa Studies (MENA) and the Agora Journalism Center, and a Research Associate of the Center for Science Communication Research (SCR).
Damian is also a three time Knight News Innovation Fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies (JOMEC), and a life fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
In spring 2023 he will be a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, his alma matter.
With over 25 years of experience in the media industry, Damian has worked in editorial, strategic, research, policy and teaching roles in the USA, Middle East and UK. He continues to be an active journalist, writing regular features for leading trade publications such as Digital Content Next, International Journalists' Network (IJNet), What's New in Publishing, journalism.co.uk and other outlets.
He is a globally recognized expert on digital trends, social media, technology, the business of media, the evolution of present-day journalistic practice and the role played by media and technology in the Middle East.
As an analyst, researcher and trainer, he has worked with a wide range of industry and academic organizations including the BBC World Service, Facebook, FIPP, INMA, Thomson Reuters Foundation, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the United Nations.
He has been quoted on issues relating to digital media and journalism by major outlets such as AFP, BBC, Business Insider, Editor & Publisher, NPR, The New York Times, Snapchat, Wired and Voice of America.
As a freelance journalist his work has also been published by leading publications and trade outlets such as the BBC, Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), Harvard’s Nieman Lab, HuffPost, PBS MediaShift, Poynter, TheMediaBriefing and ZDNet.
Originally from the UK, Damian lives on the west coast of the US with his wife and three young children.
The Most Popular Social Media Accounts in the Middle East (H1 2022)Damian Radcliffe
For the first time, this report brings together the most popular accounts originating in MENA on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Each of these platforms is explored in more detail in this report, but below we outline the account with the largest number of followers, likes and subscribers, across MENA as well as the region's four biggest markets: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
The report was made by possible by support from the New Media Academy and data from Emplifi. My thanks to them both.
From the Ground Up: How Community-Centered Journalism can Help Create a More ...Damian Radcliffe
A look at some of the key themes and ideas from an upcoming report on Community-Centered Journalism, commissioned by the Agora Journalism Center. Presented at a local journalism researchers workshop hosted at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, on Feb 19th 2023.
Mental Health and Digital Safety Tips for Journalists.pptxDamian Radcliffe
Tips and recommendations for my Social Media for Journalists class (Fall 2022) at the University of Oregon. The deck includes tips for digital safety, self-care and mental well-being, as well as managing digital overload. It features links to resources and materials from DART, CPJ, Poynter and others.
This edition of WAN-IFRA’s annual flagship research and report reveals an industry challenged but optimistic about its business. It examines the results of publishers’ business in 2021, their forecasts for 2022 and beyond, and the trends and issues shaping the industry.
Our research shows news publishers feel confident about tackling the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and that some of their early pandemic-era pivots are beginning to pay dividends. However, publishers still need to navigate considerable transformation and turmoil, even if there are signs of a resurgence in global advertising markets and a maturing of many reader revenue strategies. The invasion of Ukraine has further undermined companies’ plans, as how that conflict will unfold can have long-lasting effects on industries across the board, in addition to the humanitarian crisis it is causing.
As in the previous years, the World Press Trends Outlook analysis is based on an online survey distributed to industry leaders. 162 news executives from 58 countries took part in the survey in Fall 2021 – a big thank you to them for sharing their insights, results and strategies.
In addition, WAN-IFRA works with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and ZenithOptimedia for key performance indicators (revenue, circulation and ad spend). For additional audience insights, we work with analytics specialist Chartbeat.
World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider.
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Per the report intro (page 4): "Damian Radcliffe, longtime industry analyst, journalist and academic, authored most of the report for the first time, offering his analysis and context to the survey and emerging trends. Dr. Francois Nel, also a longtime analyst, well-known academic within our industry and contributor to WPT, provided his analysis, contribution and data analysis of all our collected data. WAN-IFRA's Teemu Henriksson helped to coordinate the project along with Dean Roper."
APNIC Foundation, presented by Ellisha Heppner at the PNG DNS Forum 2024APNIC
Ellisha Heppner, Grant Management Lead, presented an update on APNIC Foundation to the PNG DNS Forum held from 6 to 10 May, 2024 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
This 7-second Brain Wave Ritual Attracts Money To You.!nirahealhty
Discover the power of a simple 7-second brain wave ritual that can attract wealth and abundance into your life. By tapping into specific brain frequencies, this technique helps you manifest financial success effortlessly. Ready to transform your financial future? Try this powerful ritual and start attracting money today!
# Internet Security: Safeguarding Your Digital World
In the contemporary digital age, the internet is a cornerstone of our daily lives. It connects us to vast amounts of information, provides platforms for communication, enables commerce, and offers endless entertainment. However, with these conveniences come significant security challenges. Internet security is essential to protect our digital identities, sensitive data, and overall online experience. This comprehensive guide explores the multifaceted world of internet security, providing insights into its importance, common threats, and effective strategies to safeguard your digital world.
## Understanding Internet Security
Internet security encompasses the measures and protocols used to protect information, devices, and networks from unauthorized access, attacks, and damage. It involves a wide range of practices designed to safeguard data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Effective internet security is crucial for individuals, businesses, and governments alike, as cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale.
### Key Components of Internet Security
1. **Confidentiality**: Ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to access it.
2. **Integrity**: Protecting information from being altered or tampered with by unauthorized parties.
3. **Availability**: Ensuring that authorized users have reliable access to information and resources when needed.
## Common Internet Security Threats
Cyber threats are numerous and constantly evolving. Understanding these threats is the first step in protecting against them. Some of the most common internet security threats include:
### Malware
Malware, or malicious software, is designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise a device, network, or service. Common types of malware include:
- **Viruses**: Programs that attach themselves to legitimate software and replicate, spreading to other programs and files.
- **Worms**: Standalone malware that replicates itself to spread to other computers.
- **Trojan Horses**: Malicious software disguised as legitimate software.
- **Ransomware**: Malware that encrypts a user's files and demands a ransom for the decryption key.
- **Spyware**: Software that secretly monitors and collects user information.
### Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering attack that aims to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. Attackers often masquerade as trusted entities in email or other communication channels, tricking victims into providing their information.
### Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
MitM attacks occur when an attacker intercepts and potentially alters communication between two parties without their knowledge. This can lead to the unauthorized acquisition of sensitive information.
### Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks
Bridging the Digital Gap Brad Spiegel Macon, GA Initiative.pptxBrad Spiegel Macon GA
Brad Spiegel Macon GA’s journey exemplifies the profound impact that one individual can have on their community. Through his unwavering dedication to digital inclusion, he’s not only bridging the gap in Macon but also setting an example for others to follow.
1.Wireless Communication System_Wireless communication is a broad term that i...JeyaPerumal1
Wireless communication involves the transmission of information over a distance without the help of wires, cables or any other forms of electrical conductors.
Wireless communication is a broad term that incorporates all procedures and forms of connecting and communicating between two or more devices using a wireless signal through wireless communication technologies and devices.
Features of Wireless Communication
The evolution of wireless technology has brought many advancements with its effective features.
The transmitted distance can be anywhere between a few meters (for example, a television's remote control) and thousands of kilometers (for example, radio communication).
Wireless communication can be used for cellular telephony, wireless access to the internet, wireless home networking, and so on.
2. 2
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
CLAIRE WARDLE
DEMYSTIFYING MEDIA
Dr. Claire Wardle is the cofounder and executive chair of First Draft, the world’s foremost
nonprofit focused on research and practice to address myths and disinformation.
Claire is a leading expert on user-generated content, verification, and misinformation who
has worked with newsrooms and humanitarian organizations around the world, providing
training and consultancy on digital transformation. She’s a former research fellow at
the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard. Her previous
roles also include being the research director at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at
Columbia University.
Dr. Wardle earned her PhD in communications and an MA in political science from the
University of Pennsylvania. Follow her on Twitter: @cward1e
The Hearst Demystifying Media seminar series was launched in January 2016. Curated
by Damian Radcliffe, the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor of Journalism at the University
of Oregon, it provides a platform for leading media practitioners and scholars to talk
about their work.
Through a combination of guest lectures, class visits, podcasts and TV studio interviews,
the series seeks to help students and faculty at the University of Oregon – and beyond – to
make sense of the rapidly changing media and communications landscape.
Previous speakers have come from a wide range of organizations, including the BBC,
Facebook, NPR and Vox, as well as leading academic institutions such as Stanford, Columbia,
Virginia and George Washington University.
Access the archive at: http://bit.ly/DemystfyingArchive
3. 3
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
Welcome back to Oregon (Dr. Wardle
previously spoke in this series in 2016), can
you tell us a bit about the training you’re
doing training journalists around the
issues that are likely to emerge during the
2020 election.
Yeah, so as we head into election season,
our biggest concern is local newsrooms,
because if I was trying to push conspiracies
or rumors or hoaxes, I’m going to go where
the industry is most vulnerable, and that
happens to be small newsrooms, many of
which have been stripped of resources. They
have fewer staff, editorial oversight, and so
in many ways, if I am going to be successful,
that’s who I’m going to target.
We’ve been very generously funded by a
number of foundations to get out on the
road, essentially, and train small local news
organizations.
We’re going to 10 journalism schools so
that we can also train up some journalism
students, and we’re paying for journalists to
come in, to fly into these trainings, and we
train them on known tactics and techniques,
things that they might see in 2020.
We’re teaching them how to spot this kind
of information, how to verify it, and then
when they see it, should they report on it?
And if they report on it, how should they do
it so they don’t actually cause more harm by
amplifying the rumors?
Dr. Wardle speaking at a public event hosted by the University of Oregon, January 2020.
4. 4
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
Journalistic instinct is that if you see
something in the wild which looks a bit
strange, you want to report it, but can that
be detrimental?
Absolutely, because that’s the tactic. The
tactic is if we give something juicy enough to
a newsroom, they’re going to run it. Maybe
it’s to run it because they’ve been fooled, or
maybe it’s to debunk it, to say, “This is not
true.”
In the process of doing that, if you’re a
newsroom that has a megaphone, essentially,
you are giving legitimacy and oxygen to that
rumor. But the flip side is, is:
As a journalist the temptation is to say,
“Well, actually this is the truth,” and
to debunk it immediately. What’s the
alternative to spreading the truth if that’s
also just perpetuating disinformation?
That’s what agents of disinformation are
hoping, because one of the central tenets of
journalism is more sunlight is a disinfectant,
but actually they’re hoping that you’re going
to report on it.
If it’s a small niche rumor, you reporting on
it does exactly what they want, which is a
megaphone. They don’t necessarily have that
megaphone.
The challenge is, should you report on it?
And if you decide yes, actually it’s traveled
far enough that we should, how do you word
the headline?
The famous example is you wouldn’t say
Obama is not a Muslim, because our heads
are like, “Uh.” You sort of connect the dots.
Instead, you should say Obama is a Christian
and showing me imagery of him going to
church with Michelle, because the way our
brain works is if you tell me that something
isn’t true, I’m like, “Okay,” but you’ve created
a hole in my brain, and I need it to be filled
with the alternative.
Unfortunately, the way that we write a lot
of debunks, the way we talk about it is say,
“This is false. This is a myth,” like “Five Myths
About the Coronavirus.” I might read it as
myths, but five minutes later, if you ask me,
I’d be like, “Oh, I can’t remember if that’s true
or not.” We just have lizard brains.
Journalists are now unfortunately having
toworkwithinthatcontextofusashumans
being not particularly good at making the
distinctions between true and false.
WHEN A RUMOR HAS
BECOME SOMETHING
THAT IS STARTING TO
BE BELIEVED, NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO SLOW
DOWN THOSE RUMORS
AND TO SAY, “NO, WE
KNOW IT’S NOT TRUE.”
BUT THERE’S A SCIENCE TO
HOW TO DO THAT.
5. 5
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
You talk about misinformation,
disinformation, and even mal-information.
Whatisthedifferencebetweenallofthese?
I’m a little bit of a stickler for typologies,
only because if we don’t talk about this with
clarity, it confuses what’s already a complex
situation.
Disinformation is false information that
the people who create and share know it’s
false, and they’re deliberately trying to
cause harm.
Misinformation is also false information,
but the people sharing it don’t realize it’s
false and they don’t mean to cause any
harm. That’s the bigger problem here is that
lots of people on Facebook believing things,
sharing it, thinking it’s true, and it’s actually
false.
Mal-information is genuine information,
but by sharing it, you’re doing so to cause
harm. For example, revenge porn. That’s
genuine. Or leaking Hillary Clinton’s emails.
That was true information, but it was leaked
to cause harm.
If you’re a whistleblower and you’re doing
something in the public interest, that’s not
mal-information. But unfortunately a lot of
the stuff that we see is genuine; it’s just out
of context, and it’s being shared to cause
harm.
Dr. Wardle and Professor Damian Radcliffe, at a public event
hosted by the University of Oregon, January 2020.
6. 6
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
Those distinctions, I think, are useful to
improve the way that we talk about this as
a society, because those distinctions matter.
Is there also an important distinction in
terms of motivation and intent?
Yeah, there’s three main motivations for
people to do this kind of stuff.
One of it is financial. A lot of this is basically
people wanting to drive clicks to websites, so
they can either sell nutritional supplements
or they can make money off advertising.
The second is political or reputational
benefit. A lot of this we see is trying to get
one up on somebody or even to cause harm
to another business.
But the third category is just social and
psychological.
There are people who just do this because
they want to see if they can, and they like
the idea of hoaxing journalists. Sometimes
people just do it to see what’s possible.
One of the challenges in addressing this,
is that the more you go into this arena, the
more complicated it becomes.
Absolutely.Ithinkjustafterthe2016election
in the U.S., America really woke up to the
problem. I think globally there was more
recognition, but really in America that was
when people recognized it was a problem.
I’d go to convenings where you’d have lovely
Beryl from the library who wanted to talk
about media literacy in the same room as
Chad from the CIA, who wanted to talk about
disinformation against countries. It’s like, “I
don’t all think this is the same thing.”
I do think over the last three and a half years,
there’s been a recognition that this is a
really complex space, and we actually need
to be very clear about what’s the difference
between cyber operations country against
country versus how do we make sure that
my mom doesn’t share a false meme on
Facebook. I think that complexity is becoming
clearer to people.
Are there different ways of disinformation
that we should be more aware of than
others? How do you see that evolving?
Lots of people, when they think about this
space, think about purely fabricated content.
There’s a lot of concern now about deepfakes,
which is using artificial intelligence to
generate videos of people essentially saying
anything. The likelihood of that happening,
particularly in 2020, is actually quite low. The
technology is not sophisticated enough yet.
WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE
THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT
MOTIVATIONS, AND IF WE’RE
GOING TO TRY AND THINK
ABOUT SOLUTIONS OR
WAYS TO MITIGATE THIS, WE
HAVE TO TACKLE EACH OF
THOSE MOTIVATIONS VERY
DIFFERENTLY.
7. 7
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
People like to focus on, “Oh my goodness,
the fully fabricated stuff.” Again, if you’re
trying to sow this stuff, the most effective
disinformation is that which has a kernel of
truth to it.
If you’ve seen it work elsewhere, and it is a
genuine photo or a genuine video or piece
of content, that’s much more likely to be
effective.
That’s the stuff that keeps me up at night.
How has this space changed and evolved
since 2016? This space is moving very
quickly, including the techniques being
deployed and the actors behind them.
Since the election, we’ve seen the
platforms make changes to their policies.
They have become smarter at identifying
bot networks and fake accounts. Not
enough. But because of those changes,
we’ve seen the actors shift.
For example, you can’t now buy ads on
Facebook in a Russian currency. Because of
that, what we’re seeing is tactics are trying to
get Americans to do this type of work.
We have seen outside actors basically
infiltrate groups on Facebook trying to get
certain narratives pushed.
We see less bot activity and we see
more cyborg activity, which is humans
essentially publishing as many times as a
bot would, but they are real people. So it’s
harder for Twitter to do something about it.
Those kind of shifts have changed.
Also, the policies are clear now about what
they will take down. That’s why we see less
false content, because their policies in many
cases say we need to take that down, and we
see more misleading content, which is much
harder to do anything about.
Or the use of satire. If you label something
as satire, then the fact-checkers can’t touch
it. You can say, “Oh, I was just joking.” You
are pushing lines and narratives that are
damaging, but most people don’t necessarily
know that. On Facebook, everything looks
the same.
THE BIGGER CONCERN OF
THINGS THAT WE SEE IS WHAT
WE CALL FALSE CONTEXT,
WHICH IS GENUINE CONTENT
THAT HAS BEEN SLIGHTLY
TAMPERED WITH OR IS USED
OUT OF CONTEXT, BECAUSE
ACTUALLY IF TRYING TO
SOW HARM, YOU CAN DO
MORE WITH A GRAINY CCTV
FOOTAGE THAT’S BEEN
SLIGHTLY EDITED OR YOU
CAN’T SEE WHAT’S REALLY IN
IT, OR AN OLD PHOTO THAT
YOU REPURPOSE WITH A NEW
CAPTION. THAT’S THE STUFF
THAT WE SEE A LOT MORE OF.
8. 8
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
There have been subtle yet pretty critical
shifts in the tactics. My concern is if we fight
what happened in 2016, we’re not prepared
for 2020, because there are changes.
Would you like to see the platforms doing
more? Where does the responsibility lie
between them - as the distributors of a lot
of this content - versus consumers and the
responsibility we need to take to be more
critical consumers of information?
There isn’t one body that can solve this.
It shouldn’t be all on the platforms, all
on government, all on us. It should be
everybody. The challenge is if we’re all
going to be involved, then we need to get
more from the platforms to understand
what’s happening.
We started this podcast talking about when
reporters should report on something. Well,
if reporters don’t know how far something
has spread on Facebook or YouTube, and
they don’t know how many people have seen
something, they don’t necessarily have the
full information about whether or not they
should report on it.
The absence of us recognizing that spread,
it’s an opaque system [and] we don’t have
the data to make proper decisions about
what to study, what to report on, the impact
on society.
A full-house for Dr. Wardle’s talk on ‘Disinformation in the
US 2020 Presidential Election,’ January 2020.
9. 9
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
We can’t really tell whether or not
disinformation impacted the 2016 election
because we’re not sitting on the data that
Facebook is sitting on.
Unfortunately, our lizard brains mean if we
see content that reinforces our worldview,
as humans, we want to feel like, “I was
right,” and you want to share the fact that
you were right.
The most effective agents of disinformation
play on our emotions and our fears, and that
works.
Until we all realize that what looks like a
random share while you’re standing in line for
a coffee actually adds up to a really polluted
information ecosystem, this will continue.
We’re a huge part of that, and I don’t think
we as a society have recognized our role in
all of this.
What catalyzed you to get into this field?
Back in 2007, I was an academic at Cardiff
University in Wales, in the UK. I was looking
for another research project, and I became
obsessed with the fact that people were
starting to email news organizations, and
they would send pictures of snowstorms or
other things.
I was like, “How would the BBC know whether
or not that’s true?”
So I did a big piece of research for the BBC on
user-generated content. I had one question
on one survey about Facebook, and that
was it. It’s kind of astonishing how far this
world has shifted in a decade.
There’s been a lot of changes, which has
made it continue to be interesting.
Butwhenyou’reveryniche,wackyresearch
project becomes a thing that the rest of the
world cares about, it’s a pretty astonishing
feeling. I feel very, very fortunate that I
can do the work that I do.
If we aren’t able to go to your training
sessions, how should journalism students
here learn verification skills?
It’s still shocking to me that I go to lots of
J-schools and I get asked to come and do
guest lectures, but it’s not in the curriculum.
It’s shocking to me because these are the
skills that newsrooms absolutely need, and
the sad truth is that lots of even national
newsrooms don’t have many staff who know
how to verify material from the social web.
THERE IS A LOT MORE
THEY CAN DO, BUT ALSO
WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT
IF WE DIDN’T SHARE THIS
STUFF, WE WOULDN’T
HAVE A PROBLEM. THIS
STUFF IS EFFECTIVE
BECAUSE WE’VE BEEN
WEAPONIZED.
10. 10
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
I say to J-school students, if you want to
standoutfromthecrowd,thisisabsolutely
the skillset that you should get. We have
lots of free trainings and materials on our
website for exactly this reason, which is, if
you’re a go-getter, you can do this work.
There’s also an incredible community of
journalists online on Twitter who help each
other, share tools and tips. They do weekly
quizzes around how can you do this better.
It’s a great community to get into.
We have a 200-level class called Fact or
Fiction, which all students in our J-School
have to take, and we teach elements of
this in a social media class, but we need
to expose more people to these issues and
keep on top of how fast this is changing.
I’ve probably trained 5,000 journalists
around the world in the last 10 years; and
I’ve probably changed behavior in 25,
because the truth is if you come to a training
session and be like, “Oh, that was great,
Claire.”
If you don’t then go back into a newsroom
and have to practice those skills, you
lose them. The challenge is: “how can we
ensure that actually there are opportunities
for people to just keep their skills up, and
to recognize that every day you can verify
information?”
Even in the last month we’ve had the
downing of the Iranian plane, we’ve had the
coronavirus, you’ve got climate, bushfire
rumors in Australia.
Almost any story now has an element of
misinformation connected to it, and so this
should be built into the curriculum as a
running piece in reporting classes and other
types of classes.
How do we go beyond journalism schools
and newsrooms to reach members of the
public with these skills? They also need to
be equipped to be critical consumers of
news and information.
I think just after the election in 2016,
everybody was like “How do we solve
this problem? If only we just tweaked the
algorithms, we’d get out of this mess.”
I think now there’s a recognition that this
is just our new reality, and actually it’s
about building resiliency. If I go outside, I
have freckles, I have to put on suntan lotion,
and that’s just the reality.
I think we need people to recognize that
we’re never going to clean up our polluted
information environment, and instead it’s
how do people navigate that environment.
That means giving them the skills and tools
to do so.
I ABSOLUTELY AM TELLING
YOU NOW, THERE ARE
BIG JOBS OUT THERE
FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE
SHOWN THAT THEY’VE
GOT THESE SKILLS.
11. 11
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
The skills and tools that you would get
taught in Fact or Fiction or in the New York
Times newsroom, most of those tools are
free. Actually, my mom or anybody else
could use those same tools.
We just need to be better at teaching them
and showing what those steps are, because
for most misinformation, if you spent 60
seconds, for most misinformation, you could
figure out that it’s not true.
Thethingiswedon’thavethemusclememory
to say instinctively, “When I see something
on Facebook, let me just Google that source.
Ah, they’re known for conspiracies,”
“Let me just reverse image search that meme
I’ve just seen on Instagram. Oh, actually, that
was from three years ago. That’s not from
China and the coronavirus.”
We just need as a society to be that, and we
need to say to one another, “Hey Damian,
couldn’t help but notice that you just shared
something. I do it all the time, too, Damian.”
I shouldn’t shame you. “I do it all the time. I
don’t know if you know this, but if you just
download this Chrome extension, this might
stop you doing it in the future.”
We need to hold each other to account. If you
throw a can of Coke out of the window, I’m
like, “Damian, I don’t want you to litter. We
both live in this society.”
Dr. Wardle being interviewed in the Demystifying Media TV Studio.
Watch the video on YouTube.
12. 12
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
We just aren’t talking about it in those terms.
Are people inclined to go to that level of
effort? A lot of people would think that’s
actually quite hard and “Well, I don’t
have 60 seconds. What’s the six-second
version of this?” or “It’s somebody else’s
responsibility. It’s not mine.”
Well, the six-second version is that we need
to build in friction to the system.
The six-second version is just to say, “We
need to be really aware that what we share,
there’s a responsibility that comes with that.”
I don’t like to talk about shame as a way to
dothis,butIdothinksocietyhastochange.
For example, 50 years ago, if we were at a
party and you were drunk, I might be like,
“Get home safe.” There wouldn’t be any
shame about me letting you drive home.
Now if I didn’t take the keys away from you,
there would be society saying, “No, you don’t
let people drink and drive.”
It sounds silly, but ultimately we have to get
to a position which is if we can share anything
and publish anything, then we get into a
mess. Instead, what’s the responsibility?
Look at the coronavirus, I really worry about
what I’m seeing being spread. Actually, the
fear around it might be worse than the actual
virus. If we have a situation there, we have a
responsibility for what we share because we
could cause harm simply by sharing.
We have to have that societal level, which
is if you can’t check it in six seconds, don’t
share, because if you share something
that’s false, let’s recognize that that could
cause harm.
… I have to say, I see individual New York
Times reporters sharing all sorts of false
information that they would never be able to
publish on the newspaper.
I think this conversation is overdue, and
I think there’s now more of a recognition
that as trust in news organizations and
journalists decline, everybody has to take
responsibility.
A badly-thought-out tweet on a Saturday
afternoon can do really serious damage.
ACTUALLY, IF FACEBOOK
REFUSED TO LET ME SHARE
SOMETHING IF I HADN’T
READ IT OR HADN’T OPENED
THE LINK, OR IF TWITTER
REFUSED TO LET ME RETWEET
SOMETHING UNLESS IT HAD
BEEN 30 SECONDS, THERE’S A
HUGE AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE
THAT THAT WOULD TAKE
OUT A LOT OF THIS STUFF,
THAT OUR LIZARD BRAINS
REACT IMMEDIATELY, BUT IF
YOU SLOW DOWN, THEN YOU
DON’T DO THAT.
13. 13
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
So much of this is ego. They want to be
seen to be the person who’s got the most
information. Obviously, a couple of days
ago when Kobe Bryant died, I had to get off
Twitter because it was just an absolute mess.
It was journalists wanting to say, “I know
more than the next person.” It’s like, well,
that’s not helping anybody.
What gaps you see in terms of our
knowledge and research. What are the
opportunities to do something meaningful
and impactful which has perhaps slipped
through the cracks?
First Draft is a global organization. For
example, this year there’s also an election in
Myanmar. When you’re in the U.S., it’s very
easy to become U.S. focused, but First Draft
as an organization does work globally.
We’re also trying to do a lot more work now
on not just election-related disinformation.
As we just talked about with the coronavirus,
the rest of the world, the biggest concern
is health and science misinformation or
misinformation about food. That, for me,
there’s real harm around that. Even in the
U.S., the anti-vax movement, to see measles
blow up again in a way that we thought it had
been eradicated is heartbreaking. Same with
polio in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
We shouldn’t be moving backwards in this,
and that’s what I really worry about. At First
Draft, we’re trying to do a lot more work in
that kind of area.
In terms of research, there are so many
fascinating research questions that we just
need to work harder on.
I’ll say this, I think the research community
has become a little bit paralyzed by saying,
“We need data from Facebook. We need data
from Facebook.”
They’re not going to hand it over anytime
soon unless there’s government regulation,
but we should be doing more research with
audiences.
How concerned are audiences? How do
audiences really consume information on
their mobile phones? How do they share it
with their friends via email?
We don’t talk about how conspiracies spread
on email from crazy Uncle Bob.
We focus on WhatsApp.
But at the same time as email, I’m fascinated
by TikTok and new visual platforms that
we are already seeing disinformation and
conspiracies spread.
So, I’d love to see faster turnaround, peer-
reviewed academic research, but in a time
frame that actually helps practitioners
with their work right now.
MY FRUSTRATION SLIGHTLY
WITH THE ACADEMIC SETUP
IS WE’RE SEEING PAPERS
PUBLISHED NOW ABOUT
THE 2016 ELECTION. I’M LIKE,
“THANKS FOR DOING IT, BUT I
NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO
NOW FOR 2020.”
14. 14
Online Misinformation with Claire Wardle
I’d also like to see a lot more global
research. Most of the research has been
done in the U.S. with American audiences,
and this space looks very different if you
live in Brazil or you live in Indonesia.
I’d love to see partnerships between and
across borders. There’s so much that needs
to be done.
In the absence of good, rigorous research,
we’re seeing really poor regulation.
Governments are moving because
they’re terrified and they think that they
should do something. Also, in brackets,
they’re politicians, so they’re worried that
disinformation is going to affect their own
elections. But they are basically passing
laws based on a vacuum of information, so
there’s a real need for vigorous empirical
research. We’re not seeing enough of it,
and we’re not seeing enough of it quickly
enough.
Oneofthethingsyou’vetalkedextensively
about during your visit is encouraging
newsrooms to think – and hire - differently,
by bringing in people who can potentially
help newsrooms avoid making some of the
mistakes that you see and report on.
Absolutely. So much of this is about
understanding internet culture.
If you have grown up with the internet, there
is an understanding of how that culture
works, and sometimes you see newsrooms
write pieces that are really difficult to read
because it’s like, oh, God, you’ve picked up on
dog whistles without realizing that they were
dog whistles. You’ve missed the point of that
meme. So I would love to see that.
So there is a challenge there, that there is
a lack of trust from communities who are
beingtargeted.Theyarenottalkingtotheir
newsrooms about anything. They’re talking
to their community news organizations.
We’ve been banging on about this for
years and years and years, that diversity in
newsrooms is absolutely critical, always has
been, but when it comes to this topic, it’s
even more important.
THE OTHER PIECE OF
THIS EQUATION IS
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
MUCH MORE VULNERABLE
TO DISINFORMATION
TEND TO BE COMMUNITIES
OF COLOR, AND THOSE
COMMUNITIES ARE
MUCH LESS LIKELY TO
BE REPRESENTED IN
NEWSROOMS.
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