Preventing the spread of Fake News and Misinformation

[C_Clayton_Jones]

We've all seen it on USMB and elsewhere, fake news and misinformation on just about every major topic of public interest, global warming, elections, covid-19, foreign policy, domestic policy, legislation, crime, etc..... When we see posts that are filled with false information that is contrary to, trusted news services, science, trusted leaders, and often just plain common sense, we feel obliged to prove the poster is wrong. Generally speaking this not the best way to stop the spread of misinformation. It actually increases it. It is exactly what the poster wants, an invitation to provide more misinformation in support of his augment. When we play this game with the poster we become part of the problem, not the solution.

Fake news is bad for democracy — and in a pandemic, it may be a matter of life or death.

It’s also important to understand that for conservatives, fake news, misinformation, and lies are part of the Republican political campaign to sow chaos and discord, undermine confidence in the political process, and foment Republican minority rule.

Indeed, conservatives thrive in an environment of chaos and confusion, as their lies and conspiracy theories are intended to facilitate mistrust in democracy, where citizens eventually abandon voting and political participation altogether – to the perceived partisan advantage of Republicans.

Fake news is indeed bad for democracy – just as intended by conservatives.

 

[BluesLegend]

It’s also important to understand that for conservatives, fake news, misinformation, and lies are part of the Republican political campaign to sow chaos and discord, undermine confidence in the political process, and foment Republican minority rule.

Indeed, conservatives thrive in an environment of chaos and confusion, as their lies and conspiracy theories are intended to facilitate mistrust in democracy, where citizens eventually abandon voting and political participation altogether – to the perceived partisan advantage of Republicans.

Fake news is indeed bad for democracy – just as intended by conservatives.

And your position on the big whopper lies Biden just told during his Afghanistan fiasco?

 

[Decus]

I understand what you're saying and agreed with it most of my life.

I want to agree with it now but the lies are getting people killed. It's keeping a virus alive to mutate into new and more lethal variants. It's causing people to ingest chemicals that harm and in some cases, kill them.

I think there should be a limit to the ability of people to be able to lie through their teeth.

The variants or mutations of covid have been occurring in other countries like India, Brazil, South Africa.... How many covid mutations have originated in the U.S.????

.

 

[Decus]

The variants or mutations of covid have been occurring in other countries like India, Brazil, South Africa.... How many covid mutations have originated in the U.S.????

.

One of the latest covid mutations seems to have originated in Colombia:

WHO says it is monitoring a new Covid variant called 'mu'

The mu variant has mutations that have the potential to evade immunity provided by a previous Covid-19 infection or vaccination, the WHO said.

www.cnbc.com

.

 

[Decus]

I understand what you're saying and agreed with it most of my life.

I want to agree with it now but the lies are getting people killed. It's keeping a virus alive to mutate into new and more lethal variants. It's causing people to ingest chemicals that harm and in some cases, kill them.

I think there should be a limit to the ability of people to be able to lie through their teeth.

Here is a list of the covid variants of concern to the CDC and country of origin:

Alpha - UK
Beta - South Africa
Gamma - Brazil/Japan
Delta - India

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

CDC provides credible COVID-19 health information to the U.S.

www.cdc.gov

.

 

[budboomer]

again, conservatives are the primary purveyors of fake news, misinformation, and lies.

Let's try a quick multiple choice quiz and see how you do.
Who did Nick Sandmann sue and win for fake news and lies?
Fox News
CNN

Who edited the George Zimmerman 911 phone call to make him sound like a racist?
Fox News
NBC

I can think of lots more but I don't feel like typing all that.

 

[whitehall]

First you have to define "fake news" as well as "misinformation"? Who gets to judge and how does "misinformation" differ from opinion?

 

[Flopper]

According to one of the OP's "trusted sites" over 80% of Americans, 16 or older, have some covid immunity due to antibodies. According to another of the OP's "trusted sources," the CDC, that means that, as a country, we have reached herd immunity and the vaccine should be unnecessary. It is all political bullshit.

More than 80% of Americans 16 and older have some immunity to coronavirus, blood survey finds

By Travis Caldwell, CNN (CNN) -- More than 80% of Americans 16 and older have some level of immunity against the coronavirus, mostly through vaccination, a survey of blood donations indicates.The survey, led

www.cbs58.com

Scientists at the CDC estimated last March that between 60% and 90% of people in the U.S. would need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. This wide range is because there are many moving parts that determine what is needed to achieve herd immunity. Factors influencing whether the target is 60% or 90% include how well vaccination and prior infection prevent not only illness due to COVID-19, but also infection and transmission to others. Additional considerations include the heightened transmissibility of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the use of measures to interrupt transmission, including face masks and social distancing.

Prior to the widespread of the Delta variant in the US, last March, 60% was probably a good number for herd immunity but not today with over 90% of new cases being the delta variant. And if the Mu variant proves to be as infectious as reported and it resists current vaccines, there will be a lot more changes and new estimates.

As Fauci explained in a Trump news conference in March 2020, as new scientific data becomes available, recommendations and estimates will change. And no, this is not political bullshit. It would be if estimates and recommendation remained unchanged as the nature of the pandemic changes. Scientific estimates and recommendations change with the results of new research and new data. It is political dogma that remains unchanged despite everything else changing.

Herd immunity appears unlikely for COVID-19, but CDC says vaccinated people can ditch masks in most settings

Vaccination rates for COVID-19 have been lower than desired for herd immunity, or when enough people become immune for new infections to stop. What will life look like without it?

theconversation.com

 

[struth]

We've all seen it on USMB and elsewhere, fake news and misinformation on just about every major topic of public interest, global warming, elections, covid-19, foreign policy, domestic policy, legislation, crime, etc..... When we see posts that are filled with false information that is contrary to, trusted news services, science, trusted leaders, and often just plain common sense, we feel obliged to prove the poster is wrong. Generally speaking this not the best way to stop the spread of misinformation. It actually increases it. It is exactly what the poster wants, an invitation to provide more misinformation in support of his augment. When we play this game with the poster we become part of the problem, not the solution.

Fake news is bad for democracy — and in a pandemic, it may be a matter of life or death.

sadly it comes right out of the white house now…and has been deadly…xiden lied, people died

 

[Flopper]

First you have to define "fake news" as well as "misinformation"? Who gets to judge and how does "misinformation" differ from opinion?

Who get's to judge what is fake news and misinformation?
We all do. There are 6 ways you can use to spot fake news. This is how creditable news services and people that really need to know the truth do it. Those that create false news depend on the fact that most readers are to lazy to check out the story.

1. Ask Yourself, "Why Has This Story Been Written?
Is it to persuade me to accept a certain viewpoint? Is it selling me a particular product? Or is it trying to get me to click through to another website? Am I being triggered?

2. Check the Source.
Check the web address for the page you're reading. Spelling errors in company names, or strange-sounding extensions like ".infonet" and ".offer," rather than ".com" or ".co.uk," may mean that the source is suspect.

Then check whether or not the author or publisher is familiar, stop to consider their reputation and professional experience. Are they known for their expertise on the matter? Or do they tend to exaggerate?

Be aware that people who spread fake news and "alternative facts" sometimes create web pages, newspaper mockups, or "doctored" images that look official, but aren't. So, if you see a suspicious post that looks like it's from the World Health Organization (WHO), for example, check the WHO's own site to verify that it's really there.

3. See Who Else is Reporting the Story.
Avoid leaping to the conclusion that all main stream media (MSM) output is fake. This can be as unwise as following every rumor or conspiracy theory.

Professional global news agencies such as Reuters, CNN and the BBC have rigorous editorial guidelines and extensive networks of highly trained reporters, so are a good place to start. But no one is unbiased, and anyone can make a mistake, so keep looking.

4. Examine the Evidence.
A credible news story will include plenty of facts – quotes from experts, survey data and official statistics, for example. Or detailed, consistent and corroborated eye-witness accounts from people on the scene. If these are missing, question it!

Does the evidence prove that something definitely happened? Or, have the facts been selected or "twisted" to back up a particular viewpoint?

5. Don't Take Images at Face Value
Modern editing software has made it easy for people to create fake images that look real. In fact, research shows that only half of us can tell when images are fake. However, there are some warning signs you can look out for. Strange shadows on the image, for example, or jagged edges around a figure.

Images can also be 100 percent accurate but used in the wrong context. For example, photos of litter covering a beach could be from a different beach or from 10 years ago, not the recent alleged event.

You can use tools such as Google Reverse Image Search to check where an image originated and whether it has been altered.

6. Check that It Sounds Right
Finally, use your common sense! Bear in mind that fake news is designed to "feed" your biases, hopes or fears.

For example, it's unlikely that your favorite designer brand is giving away a million free dresses to people who turn up to its stores. Equally, just because your colleague believes that two married co-workers are having an affair, doesn't mean it's true.

MindTools | Home

Essential skills for an excellent career

www.mindtools.com

 

[Concerned American]

between 60% and 90% of people in the U.S.

I believe that is what I quoted the CDC as saying--it was 70% in the article I read. The number I quoted in my post was 80% which is at the high end of your range for herd immunity. Maybe you need to pull your head out of your pompous ass and start reading.

 

[Flopper]

Fake news is bad, but there is only one thing worse than fake news, which is censorship.
All the philosophers in all of history will tell you that the only way for truth to win out over lies is to prevent censorship.
Only in the open market of ALL views, can truth ever win out.
And truth will always win out if allowed.

We don't need censorship. We just need more intelligent readers that do not take what is in print or from talking heads at face value. People that create and spread fake news and misinformation depend on the fact that most readers or viewers are either to lazy or don't have the time to check out stories. They accept them as fact.

 

[Flopper]

sadly it comes right out of the white house now…and has been deadly…xiden lied, people died

The job of a politician is sell you a story that is based on truth but has has been twisted to serve his goals; similar to advertising. We know the president regardless of party is going to be selling a story of half truths, omission, and downplaying to accomplish his goals. We expect that. What Americans don't expect is news sources they believed to be reliable to be spreading misinformation and false news.

 

[Flopper]

I believe that is what I quoted the CDC as saying--it was 70% in the article I read. The number I quoted in my post was 80% which is at the high end of your range for herd immunity. Maybe you need to pull your head out of your pompous ass and start reading.

In my post I was addressing your comment, "It is all political bullshit."

 

[struth]

The job of a politician is sell you a story that is based on truth but has has been twisted to serve his goals; similar to advertising. We know the president regardless of party is going to be selling a story of half truths, omission, and downplaying to accomplish his goals. We expect that. What Americans don't expect is news sources they believed to be reliable to be spreading misinformation and false news.

nah xide out right lies and people died

 

[Flopper]

Care to provide a list of your trusted news sources?

.

C-Span
Associated Press
BBC
The Economist
NPR
Reuters

Any story that does not appear in one of the above is most probably false news or only of local interest.

 

[Flopper]

Misinformation is a major obstacle in winning the battle in both the US and many other countries. However, there are other reasons which are as silly as being afraid of the needle. 5% of Americans say they will not seek any medical attention except in life or death emergency. 26% of Americans suffer from a mental disorder and 5% are seriously mentally ill. 45% of Americans adults do not get vaccinated against the flu or other diseases. When you put all of the above together and add in the misinformation, there's going to have to be very strong incentives to get vaccinated which may come from employers, retail merchants, restaurants, and sports and entertainment venues. In other words, get vaccinated or stay home because there is no place for you in society. With the Mu deviant on the horizon, it may come to this.

 

[Flopper]

So when Governor Newsome and Nancy Piglosi told US that masks should be worn and social distance of 6ft was required, was that False Information?







I mean come on man, they can do what the fuck ever they want, but demand that you comply to their will...Yea, progressives are that stupid.

Masking and Social Distancing are preventive measures that have been used in epidemics for centuries. It is basically common sense. putting distance between you and other who may be carrying an airborne virus and putting a barrier (a mask) between you and others. It's not rocket science. It's just common sense. If you can't do that, stay home which is even better. The greatest value of vaccinations is that allows society to operate normally.

 

[Concerned American]

In my post I was addressing your comment, "It is all political bullshit."

It is a political hoax and every bullshit report from anyone over the past year and a half proves it.

 

[Rigby5]

C-Span
Associated Press
BBC
The Economist
NPR
Reuters

Any story that does not appear in one of the above is most probably false news or only of local interest.

I also like Der Spiegel and Al Jazeera.