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The conversation surrounding misinformation, fake news, and fact-checking is constantly evolving. As changing technology changes the way we take in information, new cultural and ethical considerations arise. Here is a collection of recent readings, podcasts, and other media we’ve highlighted from around the web that address the latest issues in fact-checking.
What We’re Reading:
- From Indian Express: IT ministry asks social media cos to remove more posts, alleges content ‘spreading misinformation’ about Covid-19
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has urged social media platforms to increase efforts to top the spread of misinformation about Covid-19. The ministry said that the decision was taken to "prevent obstructions in the fight against the pandemic and escalation of public order.”
- From The Columbia Journalism Review: The trial of Derek Chauvin, and the debate about cameras in court
Chauvin’s trial is the first ever to be broadcast live and in-full from a Minnesota courtroom. This article grapples with how the presence of cameras impacts the dealings of the court.
- From The Los Angeles Times: Inside one of Hollywood's most audacious Ponzi schemes
A young actor is being investigated for creating fake correspondence with Hollywood investors, scamming them out of an alleged $690 million.
- From The American Prospect: ‘Mank’ is Fake News About Fake News
The Oscar nominated movie “Mank,” covers Hollywood’s historical use of fake newsreels to slander author and gubernatorial candidate Upton Sinclair. They were the first filmed “attack ads” in history.
- From Phys.org and the University of Washington: It's not just social media—misinformation can spread in scientific communication too
A new academic paper acknowledges that scientists compete for attention, and are pressured by various agendas often just as much as journalists.
- From The Big Think: Fighting Online Misinformation: We’re Doing it Wrong
This article argues that the best way to fight misinformation isn’t to directly engage with it, but to drown it out with the truth.
What We’re Listening To:
- From Ologies With Alie Ward: Vaccine Infodemiology (COVID-19 IMMUNITY) with Jessica Malaty Rivera
Ward interviews a science communications specialist on vaccine misinformation and how history can influence vaccination rates.
What We’re Watching:
- From Netflix: The Promise
In the wake of the historic news that President Biden has declared mass killings of Armenians a genocide, The Promise is a love story that takes place immediately before the genocide.
Image: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
