Find ways to separate fact from fiction

AS disinformation and hoaxes that are popularly referred to as “fake news” accelerating and affecting the way individuals interpret daily developments, Dionne Collett, director and founder of a Durban-based Take Note Reputation Management says it is imperative for the public to separate the fact from fiction.

Collett described social media as bias, saying that it is made up of people who are fallible. She said: “We should expect that inaccurate information will make its way on to the social media platforms. We tend to seek out information that we already believe and avoid information or new stories that contradicts what we believe, meaning that we do not see the whole picture. This then influences the algorithms which feed us what we like to see.”

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The director made an example about the Cambridge Analytica case, where social media feeds were manipulated in the months leading up to the 2016 US presidential election. “Political fence sitters were targeted with misinformation circulating on social media that resulted in intense political polarisation. People on both sides of the political aisle had honed their social feeds to match their existing biases and in doing so, they became prime targets for made-up posts that aimed to validate and reinforce those views,” said Collett.

She said they recommend transparency and authenticity in brands and along with that comes true, so aligning a brand with unqualified information is a definite no. Collett alluded this is not limited to social media as it also impacts on web searches with the potential to place a researcher in the “Filter Bubble”.

“This is a state of intellectual isolation that results from personalised searches when website algorithms selectively guess what information users are likely to see based on information about the user, such as location, past click-behaviour and search history,” she explained. However, she mentioned that some of the websites focus on specific topics. Collett said: “SciCheck, for example, specialises in misleading scientific claims. It is important to be aware of the websites that are potential biases.”

Here are hints that may help the public to verify the fact from fiction:

• Get news from multiple sources and consider the biases of the sources and draw your own conclusions from that.
• Separate the facts from opinion and conjecture.
• Develop a critical mindset and before you click share, ask yourself why this story has been written.
• Check the source. Be sceptical if sources are not listed to justify claims of data and statistics.
• Don’t take images at face value, these are easily manipulated.
• Check that it sounds right – Use your common sense.

There are several fact checking websites that are available for easy confirmation that include the likes of: TinEye.com

• Factcheck.org
• SciCheck
• Media Bias/ Fact Check
• Hoax Slayer

When establishing the veracity of information, here are some common pitfalls that should be avoided:

• Cherry picking:

Selecting results that suit your needs and excluding those that don’t.

• Sampling Bias:

Drawing conclusions from data that does not represent the market that you are trying to understand.

• Publication Bias

Sensational information sells and is more likely to be published resulting in distorted realities.