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We have already mentioned how the Israel-Hamas war is the most recent battle the place persons are poring over social media and information channels on the lookout for updates on what, precisely, is going on. In spite of everything, whether or not it’s information about our neighborhoods or communities on the opposite facet of the world, the net is the place we go to search out updates.
And it’s one other reminder that misinformation is commonly huge enterprise, and it’s in all places: fake news and fabrications, half-truths and obfuscations, and flat-out lies and propaganda. The rise in AI-powered deep fakes has solely made the issue worse and elevated the quantity of untrustworthy content material on the market.
So is it truly nonetheless attainable to filter fact from lies on-line? We don’t but have a foolproof method of checking—maybe that’s a activity AI might be educated on subsequent—however there are methods to restrict the chance of being fooled.
Know Your Sources
Some on-line sources are clearly extra respected than others: It’s proper to be extra skeptical a few put up by an unknown X person than it’s about one thing from The New York Instances or The Washington Submit (or WIRED). That’s to not say citizen journalism can’t be helpful, as a result of it completely can, however be cautious of taking it at face worth.
It’s not simply the supply that’s necessary, it’s the variety of sources. Like Bernstein and Woodward, you might want to get info backed up and verified by multiple supply every time attainable. Should you’re a video of an occasion, for instance, search for extra recordings from different folks, taken from completely different angles.
Should you’re unsure a few specific supply, verify its historical past—which is pretty straightforward to do on social media. Does their most up-to-date put up match up with what they’ve posted earlier than? Are they posting lots of generic content material that may’t actually be authenticated? What number of followers have they got, and the way are they interacting with them? These can all be helpful components to contemplate.
Test the Context
In addition to checking the sources of specific tales, images, and movies, study the context round them. You may have a look at whether or not a video clip is one among a collection, for instance, or one thing that appears to have appeared out of nowhere.
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