A guide to media literacy: Identifying misinformation
Topic 1
Introduction
There are several different kinds of misinformation that have different tactics, intentions and impacts. To begin, this presentation will address misinformation in the form of imposter content. There are two types of false information and they differ in the intent behind them. Misinformation is spread to gain followers, to encourage discourse over a certain subject, as a joke, or sometimes by mistake. The primary goal is not necessarily negative.
Disinformation is formulated with the intent to cause harm and achieve a sort of calculated goal and push it on a certain target audience. Some possible motives can include: stealing money from you, confusing you, or getting you to view something in the way they want you to. This fosters a sense of chaos and confusion over what can and can’t be trusted.
Why is media literacy important?
As seniors spend increased time online, on platforms like Facebook or news websites as well as marketing schemes, they are targeted by hoaxes, fraud, and falsehoods presented in multiple ways aimed at confusing them. When these pieces of information are shared, the problem reaches even more audiences.
A negative side effect of this is a decreased sense of trust among seniors and uncertainty about what are trustworthy and untrustworthy sources of information. Apps like Facebook have become sites where news information is spread but with the ability of any user to post anything and present themselves as anyone, there is no guarantee that it is accurate or produced in good faith. It is a critical skill in the current digital landscape to be able to set apart fact from rumors or misinformation.
Why are we avoiding the term “fake news”?
We are avoiding the term “fake news” because the term has lost meaning as it has been used as a tool by many politicians and people to label any information that is not favorable to them as “fake.” What we are aiming to do is actually pinpoint what is true and false regardless of whether it is something we want to hear or not.
Defining media terms:
Meme: Memes are an incredibly common type of media and often contain misinformation. They are usually a picture paired with a small line of text intended to draw a reaction out of a viewer. The opinions that are presented in memes rarely include the necessary context for understanding the content of the image. Be cautious about trusting a few lines of text paired with an unrelated image.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Machines and computer systems that simulate human intelligence processes.
This meme is misleading because photos of landmarks can be cherrypicked to downplay the effects of climate change. The comparison does not take into account other variables like daily tides and seasonal changes.
What effect does misinformation have on us?
Misinformation can influence our thinking, decisions, and actions. Misinformation can spur violence as well.
Video by Poynter MediaWise for Seniors
Joan Lunden, journalist, author, and TV host
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this presentation you will be able to:
What are some specific types of misinformation to look out for?
False Context: Misinformation that takes an image, quote or other piece of content and puts it into a new, false context to change its meaning. It is a tactic of engagement bait on social media where creators use content out of context to gain followers or a large reaction.
Imposter Content: Uses a well known name, brand, or logo to fool people into believing it is authentic content. This type of misinformation is similar to counterfeit money. AI deep fakes and the ability of AI to replicate a person’s voice fall under this category.
What are some specific types of misinformation to look out for?
Manipulated Content: Misinformation in which something is altered from the original, such as images that have had content added or removed using photo editing tools.
Fabricated Content: Misinformation that is entirely made up and designed to deceive you into thinking that it is authentic.
Do you think this is this real or imposter content?
Real or imposter content?
When it is especially difficult to identify signs of misinformation, you can cross-check the information in the article to see if similar information is being shared on other credible sites.
Question 1
Describe a recent piece of information you’ve encountered online that at first appeared to be true, but actually turned out to be false.
Question by Checkology
Question by Checkology
The term is used much too broadly now to be useful. It is a better practice to identify different types of misinformation.
Let’s analyze a piece of imposter content
One of the best ways to get better at identifying what is trustworthy and untrustworthy sources of information (imposter content) is by paying attention to details consistent with information intended to be presented as created by a credible source that can easily go unnoticed. What can you see in the next image that may tell you it is imposter content?
The web address
The web address and logo on the site of this “news article” is seemingly very similar at first glance, but with greater examination it says “the guadrain” as opposed to the actual news website “The Guardian.”
Discussion question
Question by Checkology
Understanding the claim or message of a piece of misinformation is key to determining its possible consequences.
Match the rumor with a possible consequence
Credit to Checkology
Credit to Checkology
How can you fight back against misinformation?
Learning about what misinformation (like you are doing in this presentation!) will help you to recognize it and be skeptical and cautious about information you are presented with. You will be more more inclined to regularly check the accuracy of information, and you can warn others. It is important to practice being an active rather than a passive consumer of information online. Question and evaluate what you see. This will make you a better digital citizen and you will be able to prevent the spread of misinformation.
Video by Checkology Media Literacy Project
Top ways to identify AI created content
Not all AI content is misinformation or disinformation but it is critical to know the signs of content created using AI which can be used as a weapon to spread misinformation, impersonate others, and manipulate.
Tops ways to identify AI generated images
Question by Checkology
Top questions to ask yourself when consuming media content:
Look for citations, stick to neutral sources, and check for bias in a source (you can use your media bias chart!)
Recognize that you may be used to hearing opinions similar to your own and its important to keep in mind that if you see something that does not align with your views it does not always mean it is false.
How to categorize information you are presented with
Topic 2: Categorizing news and media information to understand purpose and motivation for the spread of information
In order to become a more critical consumer of information, it is important to know how to classify information to understand its purpose, why it was made, and if it is trustworthy or reliable. This is a skill called zoning information.
There are six key purposes of information: to entertain, sell, document, provoke, persuade and inform.
Exploring these categories of information
To Entertain: The goal of entertainment media is to amuse the audience. Examples: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Parks and Recreation. It is also important not to misinterpret satire content in these forms of entertainment as reality.
To sell: Media that aims to persuade or convince you to purchase something. If you notice the phrase “sponsored content”, the goal is to advertise a product(s). If it mentions money or saving money, there is a high likelihood it is trying to sell you something.
To document: A piece of documentation like a photo or video that accompanies a news article shows you a relatively raw look at something that is happening. When you are presented with statistics which can be a form of documentative information, you should understand what their context is and that they aren’t fabricated or manipulated.
To provoke: This is media that aims to bring about a reaction from you like anger of fear. Oftentimes, these pieces can be manipulated or more exaggerated to get more of a rise out of you. This makes this media sometimes untrustworthy. Some examples include memes or articles that are sensational.
To persuade: A piece that aims to persuade you will usually include someone’s opinion. Many times they will be easily identifiable as persuasive but it is important to look out for logical fallacies. Examples of these persuasive pieces include opinion articles like those in the New York Times or Washington Post.
To inform: Informative pieces explore and explain a topic and present you with the facts. Many times they aren’t skewed towards one opinion but actually show views from both sides. They are not editorialized or do not include the author’s opinion. Some outlets of informative media are Smithsonian Channel, Discovery Channel and PBS.
Let’s practice
Let’s practice
Which of these is intended to inform?
Where can you go to fact-check a piece of information or find trustworthy media?
How can you know what information to trust?
Top sources of fact checked media
Politifact: Politifact aims to promote transparency through reliable reporting and fact-checking.
Poynter: Poynter is one-stop shop for news and resources and courses you can enroll in to improve your media literacy skills.
SciCheck (by Factcheck.org): Scicheck focuses on verifying and checking health and science related claims made by partisans to guide public policy
What to keep in mind
Now let’s do some practice
Credit to Checkology
Information found on blogs, personal web pages, and social media accounts most often does not go through rounds of editing or peer review.
Credit to Checkology
Questions?
Thank you for listening!