In class today we have learned about fake news and how they can be very convincing. We have explored the dangers of believing things we read, and how the internet and newspapers are fooling us into believing things that may not be true. Fake news has gained a lot of attention internationally, and it has turned out to be a global challenge. It is a problem for our democracy and it can make people doubt and question what they read about things such as politics. In this blogpost I will discuss and how fake news affects us and our democracy.
Over the years there has been made increasingly more fictitious websites and articles.The problem with fake news is that they leaves so much room for people to greatly impact other people’s opinion without having to convince them through arguments and facts.
We live in a digital world, were everyone has access to posting whatever they want. This makes it easy for people to spread things, such as news, that aren’t true. It is incredibly easy to make fake news. There are meny sites to use making them. One site is breakyourownnews.com. To prove how easy it is to make them I made a fake news myself!
In the heated discussions over the effects of fake news on democracy and civil society, Trump has often taken center stage. “He has used false claims to attack his political opponents, question the legitimacy and loyalty of the Obama administration and other Democrats, and undermine the news media, the federal government and other institutions that many of his supporters do not trust.”
We have cooperated with som Australian students to hear their opinion on the topic. I read though the padlet and I agree with Tony Ferazzoli. He says “For news to be effective and factual, all statements must be backed up with evidence and the evidence must be explained accurately, or it can be skewed or manipulated. There is no excuse for people to be so ignorant and blinded by fake news when everyone has easily access to the internet and a quick search. Most websites and newspapers should be verified, and all statements should be checked before they are incorporated into someone’s political opinion.” I think everyone have a responsibility to do research to make sure the news for instants are real. Like Ferazzoli says, its just a quick search. But it may not always be easy. Sometimes the fake news can be very reliable. So what can you do to empower yourself against misinformation?
- Fact check every statement and headline.
- Report inaccuracies and misinformation on social media.
- Inform yourself about trustworthy sources.
- Check browser extensions for unreliable sources.
- Refer to a list of fake news outlet.
- Be curious and ask questions, you don’t have to belive or agree with everything you read- be critical!
We have been getting input on this topic from other countries trough Skype. Today we skyped with South-African students, to hear what they had to say about fake news. We have also made a Padlet, where students from my class, Australia, USA and Bergen has commented on the topic. It seems like most students shares the same opinion that fake news are negative. For instance, Ariana from Australia, writes that “Fake news can influence our society and change people’s opinion towards a subject. In research project, fake news can have a important influence to the reliability of the source.” I agree with this, and so does Jefferson from USA too. “…The point is really to certify that what you are reading is factual and not opinion by using several sources and to not believe the first thing you see. If you do happen to see an image of news with a title that seems questionable, analyze the details that are on the photo, like the photo with the person holding the flag from Venezuela at a supposed anti-Trump rally in Los Angeles when it actually involved an event in Venezuela. The image of news should have immediately given a red flag when a Venezuelan flag popped up because, generally, seeing that in an event like that one makes no sense and breeds suspicion. Just be cautious when reading or viewing something that claims to be news.” Here you can read more interesting points on the topic: https://padlet.com/annmic13/kanf1ktcf8dc.
Sources:
- https://annmichaelsen.com/2017/01/12/teaching-how-can-you-spot-fake-news/
- http://breakyourownnews.com
- https://padlet.com/annmic13/kanf1ktcf8dc
- https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/business/media/trump-fake-news.html?_r=0
-Ingrid
ingridgrydeland 
Good information, solid advice. Were you planning on writing more here?
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