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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:
A new generation of podcasters across Africa are reclaiming the way the world sees them, as an antidote to Western media’s dominant coverage of the continent.
- From The Middle East Eye: Macron's anti-Muslim fake news in the FT needs urgent correcting
This editorial addresses an article by French President Emmanuel Macron in which he allegedly spread severe anti-Muslim misinformation.
- From The Debrief: Dunning-Kruger Effect: Ignorance and Overconfidence Affect Intuitive Thinking, New Study Says
A new study investigated how overestimating one's own skills hinders intuition. It found that participants who perceived themselves as more intuitive were the ones who had the most significant discrepancy in estimated vs. actual scores on a test. Experts say that intuitive decision making is one of the most important skills to have in the modern age of information technology.
- From Poynter: The difference between ‘accidental’ and ‘negligent discharge’ and why journalists shouldn’t parrot police language
After Kim Potter killed Daunte Wright in a traffic stop in Minnesota this week, officials used the phrase “accidental discharge” to explain what happened. This article suggests that “accidental discharge” describes a mechanical failure of a weapon, and the more accurate phrasing would be “negligent discharge.”
What We’re Listening To:
When federal health officials recommended a temporary halt on the J&J vaccine, news was shared widely. That this was a developing topic with many unanswered questions made it fertile ground for conspiracy theories.
Photo by Christie Goodwin/Redferns via Getty Images
