fake news: managing chaos and confusion - swiss re071b46c7-09a1-49c3-8a3f... · 2019-06-04 · fake...

Fake News: Managing

Chaos and ConfusionFrank Sesno

November 28, 2017

Some fake news is malicious...

Some is dangerous...

A gunman shot the

place up...

Some “merely” sensational...

And some is just

made up...

Number of monthly active Twitter users worldwide from 1st quarter 2010 to 3rd

quarter 2017 (in millions)

A fashion blogger can have 6m Instagram followers

Economist/YouGov: Dec. 17-20, 2016

Obama and ... Kenya?

Fake news is bad for business, too

Starbucks beaned on “Dreamer Day.”

Ads with the company’s logo, font,

and drink pics were offered free via

#borderfreecoffee.

It was all a hoax.

Risks and Consequences

● Bad and bogus information generates misinformation, confusion, dispute

● If enough people believe the source of information is tainted or biased,

dishonest or despicable both the messenger and the message are tainted

● We lose moorings of commonly accepted facts and reference points

● Information dissonant with beliefs systems may be more easily dismissed

● Credible experts and spokespersons are less trusted

● Brand loyalty, identity, and reputation are undermined

● Consensus becomes more difficult

Don’t take my word for it...Ask!

What’s this story really about?

According to whom?

Are sources clear, credible, identified?

If sources are anonymous, why?

Does the story defy logic?

Have you checked the facts!

Snopes

Even …

Gossip Cop

Warning Signs

● Anonymous author or bogus byline

● No date or dateline

● Devotion to emotion. The story is aimed at the gut, written and intended to

outrage or shock

● Weird writing. Look for awkward or incorrect grammar, misused words, English that

doesn’t quite sound like English

● Doesn’t add up. The WSJ mistakenly posted a story saying Google was buying Apple

for $8b. The company is valued at nearly 100 times that much

For example...

Insisting on Media Literacy

● Build (and demand) a “culture of accuracy” in content and conversations

● Demand documentation, primary sources and multiple sources

● Search for sourcing. If sources are anonymous, insist on information, context,

and explanation

● Know the content provider, their track record, what do others say about it,

their reputation

● Demand content transparency and accountability. See if there is an code of

conduct or ethics guide

● Mistakes matter. Is there a public place where errors are acknowledged and

corrected?

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