Media Literacy and Fake News (2 Viewers)

[Ayo]

The Canadian Journalism Federation is taking fake news very seriously. I've worked with media literacy for years, and this is - to date - the most expansively public approach that I've seen, in advance of the Federal Election.

Journalism group launches anti-fake news campaign ahead of Canadian election

Recent polling suggests nearly all Canadians have come across misinformation online, yet only 40 per cent feel they know how to differentiate between fake news and the real thing.

www.thestar.com

If you are engaged online, you have likely been subjected to something that was not true, and yet there isn't much pursuit in trying to determine factual accuracy of the articles and information. And most of us - probably every single one of us here - have fallen for it.

Recent polling by Ipsos, Earnscliffe Strategy Group and MIT researchers suggests nearly all Canadians have come across misinformation online, yet only 40 per cent feel they know how to differentiate between fake news and the real thing.

The polls also found 90 per cent of Canadians admitted to falling for fake news in the past, and only a third of them regularly check to see if the stories they’re consuming are legitimate.

I don't think that their approach is going to be enough. I think the most effective utility it will have is bringing awareness. But fuller approaches to media literacy are going to be necessary to combat the deluge of increasingly deceptive media. These are hard skills that can be learned, but with the advent of new 'deep fake' technology, media literacy is going to have adapt, too.

I would like to see greater emphasis on media literacy in the US. Because even though this statement is for the Canadian audience, it definitely - maybe even more so - applies to the US where news is more infotainment and sensationalized than it is up here:

“To be an engaged citizen, you have to have access to quality journalism… you have to understand what is quality journalism and what is not,” said Richard Gingras, vice-president of Google News.

Another source includes one approach - the SPOT approach: https://www.manitoulin.ca/news-media-canada-launches-new-tool-to-help-people-spot-fake-news/

SPOT is an acronym that acts as a simple way to remember the four principles of identifying misinformation. It works like this:
S: Is this a credible source? Check the source of the article—and be skeptical.
P: Is the perspective biased? Think critically and look for varying viewpoints on an issue.
O: Are other sources reporting the same story? Be your own fact-checker and verify the validity of the story.
T: Is the story timely? Check the date the story was published—sometimes, stories use old information to take advantage of a timely occurrence.

It's obviously not enough, but a decent start.

 

[Ayo]

Buildings and businesses set on fire are done by rioters. And I believe the mattress video you might be talking about were those protesters that set a homeless man's mattress ablaze, for what reason I do not know.

Outrage follows video of homeless man’s bed set on fire during George Floyd protests in Austin

A homeless Austin man had his bed set on fire during weekend protests in the state capital, but viewers are skeptical that the suspects were actually part of the nationwide George Floyd protests.

www.ksat.com

I was pretty specific though in what I was talking about. I didn’t mention buildings or businesses. I have seen a lot of videos of small fires in streets. They, alone, does not - imo - make them riots.

I think “riot” is one of those words that should be used when it’s actually a riot. Throwing the word around doesnt really lead to accuracy or understanding.

 

[MT15]

I am just excited you guys are actually admitting there have been riots. For the last 3 months, we have been told they are protests and there was not violence at all and we were all 'crazy' and racist for saying so.

And no, protesters don't set fires. Rioters and Looters set fires and vandalize private property.

Either protesters are rioters or they are not the same. You cant pick and choose as the narrative evolves.

You have been told you were racist and there was no violence at all? This seems not likely. Smells like manure.

So, if a couple of idiots start a fire in a dumpster (or some other contained blaze) during an otherwise peaceful protest, then suddenly all the protestors become rioters and looters?

I know you don’t think that, but the way you are expressing yourself makes it seem that you are more than willing to label everyone at these protests.

 

[FullMonte]

I am just excited you guys are actually admitting there have been riots. For the last 3 months, we have been told they are protests and there was not violence at all and we were all 'crazy' and racist for saying so.

Can you point to posts here where people have said there was no violence at all? Or that anyone was crazy and racist for saying there was violence?

 

[Farb]

Alabama National Guard members deploying to Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers requested assistance from National Guards in Alabama and other states.

www.al.com

Maintain peace from peaceful protesters?

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Alabama National Guard members deploying to Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers requested assistance from National Guards in Alabama and other states.

www.al.com

Maintain peace from peaceful protesters?

No, from the violent counterprotesters, one of whom murdered multiple people. This has as much to do with media literacy as your Rand Paul comment. Please stop derailing this incredibly useful thread.

 

[Farb]

No, from the violent counterprotesters, one of whom murdered multiple people. This has as much to do with media literacy as your Rand Paul comment. Please stop derailing this incredibly useful thread.

Isn't this discussion exactly the point of this thread?

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Isn't this discussion exactly the point of this thread?

The thread is about media literacy. Was there something in the article worth highlighting on that topic?

 

[MT15]

Steve Scalise promoted a doctored video by imitating the artificial speech of a man with ALS to try to score political points against Joe Biden. Good lord.

 

[SaintForLife]

Wow, these protests are fiery, but at least they are mostly peaceful

 

[The moose]

Wow, these protests are fiery, but at least they are mostly peaceful

Do yourself a favor and just Google search that image smart guy.

It first shows up in articles from China news sites months ago.

So where is that and when did that happen?

Really do some homework.

 

[SaintForLife]

Do yourself a favor and just Google search that image smart guy.

It first shows up in articles from China news sites months ago.

So where is that and when did that happen?

Really do some homework.

Why would I do homework on a picture that CNN posted with one of their articles?

 

[insidejob]

Steve Scalise promoted a doctored video by imitating the artificial speech of a man with ALS to try to score political points against Joe Biden. Good lord.

I was just coming here to post about this. I didn't learn about it until I got a notification from a news app I have on my phone.

Here's WWL's story about it with more details. https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/...ideo/507-fb58fe89-38ac-4fd3-b47f-315c67b7abfa

And Scalise is all over Fox News this morning hating on Biden calling him dishonest. Pot, kettle?

 

[MT15]

Why would I do homework on a picture that CNN posted with one of their articles?

Because you want to be an informed consumer of news, and not just go along with your own confirmation biases?

 

[SaintForLife]

Because you want to be an informed consumer of news, and not just go along with your own confirmation biases?

I was pointing out how absurd the picture was that CNN chose to go with their article. What does being an informed consumer and my supposed confirmation biases have to do with that?

 

[insidejob]

I was just coming here to post about this. I didn't learn about it until I got a notification from a news app I have on my phone.

Here's WWL's story about it with more details. https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/...ideo/507-fb58fe89-38ac-4fd3-b47f-315c67b7abfa

And Scalise is all over Fox News this morning hating on Biden calling him dishonest. Pot, kettle?

Let's also not forget that Steve Scalise once referred to himself as "David Duke Without the Baggage." before becoming a Congressman.



I was trying to just post a link to the transcript but in doing so, it just links the video. Not my day for getting links to work correctly.


He once described himself as David Duke without the baggage. www.democracynow.org/...

Maybe this will work. It's from the comments section of an article about my quoted post. (It works! If you don't or can't watch the video just click this link to read the transcript.)

 

[The moose]

I was pointing out how absurd the picture was that CNN chose to go with their article. What does being an informed consumer and my supposed confirmation biases have to do with that?

I was pointing out don't make your whole argument about a photo.

Fox News runs digitally altered images in coverage of Seattle's protests, Capitol Hill Organized Protest

The image Fox used was a digitally altered mashup of photos from different days, taken by different photographers in Seattle.

www.seattletimes.com

Fox news using altered photos and even the wrong city.

NPR has posted bad photos.

I am just saying if your argument is a photo be sure you do your homework if it is even the event you are posting about because it might be from another country like last week.

I am more than sure you get the crazy photos are used as click bait.

 

[RobF]

Do yourself a favor and just Google search that image smart guy.

It first shows up in articles from China news sites months ago.

So where is that and when did that happen?

Really do some homework.

The photo currently displayed in the embedded tweet seems to have been taken August 24th by Brandon Bell. It's on Getty Images, here:


CNN tend to be sensationalist, but their image use tends to be OK. Has the image changed or something?

That said, it remains absurd to take a single image and consider it representative of all protests, which remain mostly peaceful. Because if, for example, thousands protest peacefully, and a hundred protest violently, that means people are behaving mostly peacefully. "Fiery but mostly peaceful" can be an entirely accurate description of events.

Media literacy is about recognising when the media is exaggerating, disingenuous, or outright false. Pointing out the media being accurately nuanced is fine, but it's a bit odd to laugh at it and suggest it's not a good thing, when it's literally what they should be doing.

 

[SaintForLife]

I was pointing out don't make your whole argument about a photo.

Fox News runs digitally altered images in coverage of Seattle's protests, Capitol Hill Organized Protest

The image Fox used was a digitally altered mashup of photos from different days, taken by different photographers in Seattle.

www.seattletimes.com

Fox news using altered photos and even the wrong city.

NPR has posted bad photos.

I am just saying if your argument is a photo be sure you do your homework if it is even the event you are posting about because it might be from another country like last week.

I am more than sure you get the crazy photos are used as click bait.

CNN seems like it’s trying to set record for picking pictures that don’t match their headlines or captions. My post was about CNN. It doesn't have to include your examples as well. You can make your own posts that include what you want to be said.