Now is the time to build your social media savvy, especially when it comes to news. The New York Times report that Russian agents aimed at dividing the American electorate during the 2016 campaign were able to reach 126 million users on Facebook, published more than 131,000 messages on Twitter and uploaded over 1,000 videos to Google’s YouTube service is truly chilling to anyone who has ever looked to their smart phone, laptop or computer to find out the latest news.
Startups like NewsGuard Technologies, started by Court TV founder Steven Brill, are pledging to use journalists rather than an algorithm to comb through some 7,500 news sources and rate them for authenticity while sharing a nutrition label about them that includes who owns them, who backs them and how people can complain about their content. Facebook officials recently sent out a video to advertisers to prove they are taking steps to address the fake news issue, saying they have doubled the number of workers that filtered content to 14,000 and are able to filter out 99 percent of content from terrorist groups.
However with so many stories out there, it’s next to impossible to block out all questionable content.
There some things we all can do to combat the impact of stories designed to inflame rather than inform.
- Consider the Source – When you are reading a story that pops up on your feed, consider the source. Is it a media outlet you recognize? Also, pay attention to the content itself. Are the sources quoted real people or are opinions attributed to things like “twitter” or “the internet”? What organization do they work for? Is it one with a slant one way or another?
- Find Content Outside Your Silo – Whether your favorite source for news is MSNBC or FOX News Channel, make an effort to mix up your media diet. If you only listen to people you agree with, you are unlikely to understand or appreciate alternate points of view.
- Watch Out for Clickbait – As we all know, the success of social media stories depends on the number of clicks they get. The headline often has clear indicators that the article that follows is clickbait. Researchers in Norway found people are 150 percent more likely to click on a headline that’s in the form of a question. Another major thing to look for are words that evoke emotion, especially fear and rage.
- Mine for Context – Although quick fix, easily consumable stories are fun to read and are not time consuming, like junk food they are not very nutritious. Set aside some time to read in depth stories that really give you the context behind the story.
A savvy social media news consumer is a smart news consumer. Following these tips will reduce the power of the so called trolls to shape your view of the world.
