How to identify fake news

Expose, fact-check, media literacyTrust in the scientific community and curiosity are the cures to fight fake news and get out of the only interactions consistent with our thinking. It is possible that one breaks from the vicious circle where social networks, born as playful advertising tools and not with the aim of disseminating information, try to keep the user inside as much as possible to obtain useful data to promote the approximation of the contents. for their interests.
This is a reflection axis Alessandro Tavecchio, biologist and member of the Communications Unit of SISSA in Trieste and author of the lesson “Bad Information: How It Works and the Role of Social Media” In the context of Education Feltrinelli Dedicated to the topic of scientific journalism and publishing techniques.

Alessandro Tavecchio, biologist and member of the Communications Unit of SISSA in Trieste, invites us to go beyond trivialities, to overcome the problem of identifying fake news, in the course “Science Journalism: Theory and Techniques of Publishing” at Feltrinelli Education

The role of the press was to decide, thanks to criteria of publication merit, which news should reach the collective public consciousness. Today, the advent of the Internet has lowered fixed editing costs, and we could have seen a gradual decline in this task, giving readers direct access to information. The shared reality that has always characterized the media presents small cracks: today he is a very personal person, where everything that appears before the eyes of users is the result of a set of data and the movements we make when we are online

The thinking of Alessandro Tavecchio invites us to go beyond trivialities, to overcome the problem of recognizing fake news.

in his lesson Alessandro Tavecchio It analyzes how the subject of bad information has been grouped for at least 10 years by the term “fake news‘, corresponding to the Italian ‘media hoax’. This is a very vague term, and by it we mean a bunch of different things. With this illegitimate usage, a distinction is made between the problems of disinformation caused by false news between ‘disinformation’, in which unintended errors appear, and ‘disinformation’, wherein lies the desire to harm someone, and ‘disinformation’, which is where information is located.Deliberately manipulated to create a scandal and attract more clicks on their webpage link.

Example misinformation It came from the case of the killer hornet in Italy. In fact, the photo circulating on the network was a mandarin wasp, not found in Europe, while, on the contrary, the species suitable for reporting was the phyllotina wasp.

The scandal that was instead born around Snow White’s unconsensual kiss, owes all her luck to exploiting the news, creating what has been defined as misinformation At the same time, misinformation. From a review of the San Francisco Gate by two journalists at a California park at Disneyland, the note was inserted into a broader context, the context of cultural abolition, becoming an excuse to stir up controversy that already exists in the media landscape.

Finally, the birth of a comic content related to the gateway to Russia, nurtures metanarration, according to which Russia interfered in the election campaign for the presidential elections in the United States in 2016. This example of misinformation was intended to create emotional reactions during political propaganda. These mechanisms are typical of social networks, which are tools originally created for entertainment purposes, but represent Nowadays distinct channels for the use of information. It is precisely because of this new reality that the spread of fake news has become a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly frequent and with faster spread rates.

“We tend to believe what is presented to us when it confirms our preconceptions, but there are several ways to improve the quality of the information being circulated. Those who do “debunking” try to show the falsity of certain news, but it will not work very well for those who already have well-designed ideas. In general, theFact Check“Checking facts and data, especially from influencers, should not be the responsibility of journalists alone, but of anyone who creates or shares content on the web. Finally, media education is important: real education about media consumption, and encouraging us to ask questions. To ourselves and to care about the information we receive every day; there is no way that can give us certainty of the correctness of what we are exposed to. For this reason, it is necessary to cultivate a natural curiosity. We all (or almost all) say we believe in the scientific community, but then choose to listen only to the voices Which gives us affirmation. Going beyond the trivialities and scraping the surface of the news that we are used to scrolling through social media pages is essential not only to the correct use of media, but helps us get closer to the truth and to perspectives different from our own.” explain Alessandro Tavecchio.

deepen Alessandro Tavecchio, is one of the four topics covered within Science Journalism Live Course: Publishing Theory and Techniques From Education Feltrinelli, which also includes interventions Marina D’Alessandro, Nico Petrelli and Donato Ramani In which decision-making processes in the face of uncertainty are explored, what are the dynamics behind misinformation and the essential role of scientific communication in making the best decisions at a collective level. The course consists of 3 live lessons, a practical exercise in 2 sessions and a final meeting where you can compare yourself to the experts in a question and answer session, for a total duration of 10 hours. The course is limited, registration is already open and lessons will take place from Tuesday 05 October to Tuesday 09 November 2021.
With its live and on-demand courses and workshops Education Feltrinelli It responds to the needs of digital transformation, creates the true meaning of the book, presents moments of culture and entertainment, and opens the way to a new way of teaching.