Reflection 4

SOCIAL MEDIA

Spotting Misinformation On

Social Media Is Increasingly

Challenging

Peter Suciu Contributor Follow

Aug 2, 2021, 03:56pm EDT

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Whether it is about the presidential election, climate change, or Covid-19 vaccines and the

delta ... [+] NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

Whether it is about the presidential election, climate change, or

Covid-19 vaccines and the delta variant, misinformation continues

to spread rampantly across social media. According to a Pew

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Research Service study from January, more than eight-in-ten U.S.

adults (86 percent) said they get their news from a smartphone. It

is easy to see why misinformation continues to spread.

While we may expect, even demand that the social platforms crack

down on misinformation, there is little likelihood that Facebook,

Twitter or YouTube will ever stamp out it. One reason is that it

would take full-time policing of virtually all content, but then there

is also the fact that these platforms depend on continued use.

Simply put, misinformation gets clicks.

We see so much misinformation because the platforms have no real

interest in deterring it," explained technology and

telecommunications analyst Roger Entner of Recon Analytics.

"It is really easy and free to join the platform, there is no profit in

deleting the misinformation and preventing provocateurs to post

it," Entner warned.

"Actually, the platforms profit from it because the more outrageous

the content the more people interact with it – this type of

'engagement' is what the platforms are looking for; people reacting

to things. It doesn't matter if it's true or false as long as they

engage," Entner added. "There is also no downside in the

anonymous multimedia world, but even when high profile people

spread lies, there are no repercussions. Everything gets sacrificed

on the altar of monetization through engagement."

Spotting Not Stopping The Misinformation

Since it can't – and likely won't– be stopped, then the best course of

action is spotting it. This may not be as easy as it sounds, because

misinformation is often presented as news and/or fact. In some

cases, it can be wrong by misunderstanding, whilst in other cases it

is misleading by design

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"Bad information comes in two flavors, unintentional and

intentional. The latter, intentional disinformation, is far more

dangerous," said William V. Pelfrey, Jr., Ph.D., professor in the

Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia

Commonwealth University.

"There are many persons who purposefully distribute inaccurate

information in an attempt to influence outcomes, such as an

election," said Pelfrey. "Undermining social confidence during a

time of Covid can disrupt the economy, influence employment, and

negatively impact public health. Some countries, including Russia

and China, have sophisticated disinformation organizations, which

work hard to undermine the United States, thereby elevating other

countries."

ho to believe becomes a problem, too, when there is rampant

contradictory information. This has been made worse as the nation

is so deeply divided, and trust of the "other side" is at an all-time

low.

"Human nature is to simply turn away when things get confusing,"

added Pelfrey.

If the government is telling you to get vaccinated, and social media

is telling you that vaccines and Covid are a hoax, the easiest thing to

do is ignore all of it. That leads to tremendous public health risk,"

he warned. "The smart thing to do is assess the source. What data

support the assertion? Is this fact – based on published, peer-

reviewed research – or opinion? Opinion is often hard to

differentiate from fact as many portray opinion as fact; especially

those soliciting attention, or votes, or your money."

Tips For Spotting Disinformation

There are now ways to quickly spot disinformation, including how

credible the source is – not just on this topic, but past events and

stories as well. In other words, if the source on social media was

wrong in the past that doesn't make them an expert this time

around.

"There are three things that I rely on as my 'go-tos' as quick checks

for patients," said Dr. Donna Gregory, senior lecturer within the

School of Nursing at Regis College. "Who is posting it? What

information are they sharing? What is their intent? In terms of who

is posting it, you want to look at the qualifications and potential for

bias. This is true for both individuals and organizations. For the

information to be credible, the individual or organization should

have credentials that are related to the field. For example, an

infectious disease provider or a healthcare organization that

specializes in infections disease would be credible sources."

The second is what information are they sharing, Gregory added.

Is the information data based on recent studies or information

from science? Or is it a post about one specific case or anecdotal

story," she pondered. "Finally, what is the intent of the person or

group posting? Is the intent to share information based on current

research and science? Are they trying to sell you something? Does

the post generate fear or distrust? Disinformation is more likely to

want to push you in one direction or another, instead of just

sharing information. While it isn't fool proof, considering these

questions together can help you determine if the information is

meant to spread disinformation."

Fact Checking

A common misconception today is that fact checking is often

opinion-based, yet as the very term suggests, it is about checking

the facts. However, fact checking doesn't mean disagreeing with all

the data that counters your argument and only supporting the ones

that agree.

n social media, it is all too common for someone to use a single

source to make or back up an argument while disregarding all the

other facts. That in turn leads to such a spread of misinformation.

If the information comes from a single person, it is opinion—not

fact," said Pelfrey. "My wife saw a friend's post which sounded

scientific, and was written by someone claiming to be an expert,

who turned out to be a part-time pharmacy employee. Not a

scientist."

The problem is made worse as it is makes rounds via social media.

In the John Hughes' film Ferris Bueller's Day Off there is the joke,

"He's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend

heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with a girl who

saw Ferris pass-out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty

serious."

That sort of "source" almost flies on social media!

The trappings of expertise are easily fabricated—be skeptical when

reading anything and consider the author's motivation," added

Pelfrey. "Is the author relaying the findings of scientists or are they

trying to push you towards an ideological position?"

And as noted, don't trust one source, especially those that may

seem controversial.

Ferris Bueller - He's SickFerris Bueller - He's Sick

"The main way to check accuracy is to review multiple sources for

the same information," said Gregory. "If you find information about

the delta variant on a news site, can you find this same information

on the CDC website? What about other health care organizations

such as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease? If

your friend shares information about the vaccines, can you find the

same information on the FDA website or other organizations such

as the World Health Organization? If the information is consistent

across multiple, credible sources than it is likely reliable

information based on evidence."

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Peter Suciu

I am a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen

magazines, newspapers and websites. I covered the... Read More

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