Category: Change

Change, Debated Topics, Journalism, Social Media

Spotting fake news: Always look with a critical eye

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As FactCheck.org explains, fake news has become more pervasive than ever before. What was once limited to an occasionally annoying chain email now has the potential to be shared across social media and other platforms under the guise of seemingly legitimate reporting.

In an effort to help readers decipher between what is fact and fiction, Snopes published a list of well-known “fake news” purveyors, including names like News Examiner and Empire News. FactCheck.org also cautions about the names of these websites. The article stated that the creators of these sites will mirror their domains after trusted news organizations. An example of this is how closely abcnews.com.co, a URL meant to mimic ABC News, resembles the actual URL for the outlet (abcnews.go.com).

person reading the daily fake news newspaper sitting on gray couch
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

However, there are other clues readers can look for when reviewing the legitimacy of an article. Look to see  authored the piece. If you cannot find a link to any other work he/she has done, the name may be fake. I’ve linked to my work both as an example and a bit of shameless self promotion.

Another aspect to look out for is the date of the piece. Occasionally, these fake news outlets will take an old story and re-brand it to be connected with current-day events. This can be solved by Googling the news item to see if it has been debunked/proven or what other outlets are saying about it.

However, none of this changes the fact that potentially false information is often finding its way into our social media feeds. According to an NPR podcast with guest Craig Silverman, an editor at Buzzfeed, Facebook’s algorithm for content is, whatever is receiving the most engagement will be promoted to others.

Silverman goes on to explain that teenagers and 20-somethings in Veles, Macedonia took advantage of this fact. They saw, for example, that pro-Trump and anti-Clinton material was popular on the platform during the 2016 Election. They would post content reflecting those biases into Trump support groups. In addition, many of these posts were multimedia: video, pictures, memes and text-based articles as well.

Silverman said that the multimedia aspect of these messages was one of the driving forces behind their popularity. People could see a meme, for example, and quickly identify that it was inline with their beliefs. From there, the “share button” feeds the algorithm for popularity.

The clicks a piece of content receives, that directs the audience back to a website, and Google’s role in all of this is possibly the biggest factor in the whole puzzle. If the website has ads placed on it by Google (AdSense), then traffic to that website can be a major revenue generator. Just ask the man who built a fake news domain once worth more than $100,000.

Though Facebook has said it is improving its flagging system and algorithm to recognize misinformation, there is a high possibility that information which merely expresses an opposing opinion will be suppressed. Therefore, the responsibility rests with the audience to research and inform itself. That may be easier said than done but it is necessary to becoming an informed news consumer.

 

 

Change, Journalism, PR

A new way to think about news releases

trienjul

According to PR News, the format and delivery of news releases is changing. What was once thought of as a useful tool to  disseminate important updates or a public statement is now much more. The article explains that news releases should be put out often, essentially following any company update and they should be interactive. This includes a multimedia approach with links to related content, audio, video or images.

The new way of looking at news releases coincides with the popularity of the Internet. More and more people consume of the news through this medium. In fact, as of August 2017, the Pew Research Center reported that 43 percent of American adults often get their news online.

news release post photo
Photo via Unsplash/andrewtneel

The multimedia aspect shows the way in which web content broadens the possibilities of news coverage. Take, for example, a New York Times video on the New York transit system. Here, one can see an organization that is perhaps best known for its print content, producing a video that contains text, references to other material, audio and fast-paced editing. If viewers wanted, they could click off and do independent research based on the people and facts referenced. Also, the pacing and some of the stylistic choices would make it appear as though the Times is targeting the younger audience finding its news on the web.

Since the nature of the Internet is such that it is updated constantly with new content, public relations professionals need to keep the flow of new information about a product or brand going at a consistent rate. Otherwise, there is a danger there that the brand has become “old news” and not worth the audience’s attention.

A final important way to engage the audience is by allowing them to engage with the content. Other than links to follow, many readers would likely enjoy being a part of the conversation.  The article, video or press release functions as a diving board. Now, let them jump in and give their opinions. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, either by adding a comments section to the piece or website or providing contact information to whom readers can voice their questions, concerns and thoughts.

News releases are no longer disseminated to the public solely at the discretion of an editor publisher. The web allows for direct access to these important updates. As I have said in many of my past posts, the audience is fast becoming the journalist. That also means an added layer of responsibility to decide what is news.

Change, Debated Topics

The process of live tweeting #QuestionsOnKavanaugh

trienjul

Before Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, I worked with my classmate, Samantha Todd, to get students’ thoughts on the hearings, sexual misconduct allegations and FBI investigations that surrounded this moment in history.

While live tweeting, we used the hashtag #QuestionsOnKavanaugh. We believe that the hashtag has two benefits. One, it is short and has sound repetition with the first and last word, making it easier to remember. Two, it quite literally describes the event, as we were asking students our “Questions on Kavanaugh.”
Statue

We gathered opinions on the basis of three questions. First, we connected Kavanaugh’s political history to the controversy surrounding further FBI investigation into his life.

The question read: “The FBI is looking into the sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The White House has authorized the FBI to interview anyone the FBI thinks is necessary. Kavanaugh served in the George W. Bush White House. Over the course of his career in the federal government, Kavanaugh has undergone six background checks. The FBI has previously done a background check on him as part of the White House’s review process of vetting him for the Supreme Court. Do you think it’s necessary for the FBI to investigate Kavanaugh again? Why or why not?”

We asked this question, in large part, to add context to the debate. I’m unashamed, even as a journalism major, to admit that I knew little about Kavanaugh’s past before the U.S. Senate hearings. We did not want to assume that students knew everything there was to know about the judge before going into this discussion. Whether or not Kavanaugh should undergo another FBI investigation was a major question leading up to his confirmation. Therefore, we wanted to know what students thought about it.

The four students interviewed all agreed that the FBI should proceed with another check into  Kavanaugh’s past. Students said, if the FBI did not investigate, they would be less trusting of Kavanaugh.

“I think it would be very reassuring for the country if another investigation was launched,” said Liam, a sophomore public relations major.

We followed that question by asking, “Do you think Kavanaugh should be nominated to the Supreme Court. Why or why not?”

We asked this question because, after providing context, we wanted to give students an opportunity to take part in the dialogue or the central question. Three out of four of the students seemed to agree that, in that question, there were many aspects to consider. Ultimately, they said, the findings of the Senate and FBI would determine their answer.

Veronica, a senior creative writing major, expressed her mixed feelings on the topic. “How do I have faith in a justice system if I don’t trust one of the highest powers,” she said. “But, at the same time, if he’s innocent, then I feel bad.”

Thomas, a junior history major, said Kavanaugh should not be confirmed because, in the wake of these allegations, Kavanaugh’s credibility is damaged in the eyes of many Americans. He explained that Kavanaugh’s confirmation would, in turn, change the way people view the Supreme Court for the worse.

Lastly, we asked students if they believed the Senate would proceed with Kavanaugh’s confirmation. We ask this because we wanted students to look ahead to the future, take all the components we talked about and reach a final conclusion.

Again, three of the four interviewees said the Senate was likely to push Kavanaugh through, as he had both Trump and Republican Party backing.

Even though Kavanaugh is now officially a justice of the Supreme Court, his confirmation is meeting continual backlash. I regularly see pictures of protesters’ signs on social media as they display their discontent around D.C.

Our interviews provided a sample of beliefs on the issue in an attempt to make sense of this contentious time.