Category Archives: Fake News

This article was originally published here

Can Commun Dis Rep. 2020 Nov 5;46(1112):432-435. doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v46i1112a11. eCollection 2020 Nov 5.

ABSTRACT

Misinformation and disinformation (fake news) about vaccines are contagious-travelling faster and farther than truth. The consequences are serious; leading to negative impacts on health decisions, including vaccine acceptance, and on trust in immunization advice from public health and/or healthcare professional. This article provides a brief overview of evidence-based strategies to address vaccine deniers in public, in clinical practice and in social situations. As well, a strategy to help differentiate between vaccine deniers and simple vaccine refusers in a practice or clinic is provided. Five tactics are widely used by vaccine deniers: conspiracy; fake experts; selectivity; impossible expectations; and misrepresentation and false logic. Recognizing and understanding these tactics can help protect against misinformation and science denialism propaganda. Highlighting the strong medical science consensus on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines also helps. Carefully and wisely choosing what to say and speaking up-whether you are at a dinner party, out with friends or in your medical office or clinic-is crucial. Not speaking up implies you agree with the misinformation. Having healthcare providers recognize and address misinformation using evidence-based strategies is of growing importance as the arrival of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is expected to further ramp up the vaccine misinformation and disinformation rhetoric. Healthcare providers must prepare themselves and act now to combat the vaccine misinformation tsunami.

PMID:33447164 | PMC:PMC7799877 | DOI:10.14745/ccdr.v46i1112a11

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Fake news and science denier attacks on vaccines. What can you do? - DocWire News

>> THAT IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. >> IT IS TIME TO GO "ON THE RECORD" WITH WRAL NEWS. >> GOOD EVENING AT THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR "ON THE RECORD", I AM DEBRA MORGAN. TONIGHT A DISCUSSION THE HITS CLOSE TO HOME, THE GOING DISTRESS OF THE MEDIA AND HOW THE EROSION OF FAITH IN JOURNALISM IMPACTS OUR DEMOCRACY. WE EXPLORE WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO CALL THE PRESS FAKE NEWS, PHRASE PRESIDENT TRUMP UTTERED OFTEN WHILE IN THE WHITE HOUSE. EVEN DECLARED THE MEDIA THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE. FOR WE REACH OUT TO OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS WE START WITH JOE FISHER WITH A LOOK AT HOW IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ONE THAT TRUST BACK EVEN WITH A NEW PRESIDENT AND OFFICE. >> Reporter: RIDERS WHO STORM THE U.S. CAPITAL LEFT THIS MARK ON THE DOOR. SHOWING THE DISTRUST FELT BY SOME ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND TOWERING OVER THIS ROAD IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. >> ULA DOING YOUR JOB. >> Reporter: THIS MAN IS CONVINCED THAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP -- WON THE ELECTION. >> ALL THE STUFF ABOUT BE IN A FAIR ELECTION IS HOGWASH, WILL NEVER BELIEVE IT. >> Reporter: HE IS NOT ALONE IN BELIEVING BALLOT FRAUD IN GEORGIA, IN SPITE OF INVESTIGATIONS THAT FOUND NO EVIDENCE AND REJECTIONS OF THOSE CLAIMS BY MULTIPLE JUDGES. >> I WANT TO SEE MORE EVIDENCE, STATE-BY-STATE NOT JUST GEORGIA. BUT, IF NOTHING ELSE, AN AIR OF SUSPICION LEAVING 70 TO 80 MILLION PEOPLE VERY ANGRY AND VERY UPSET. >> Reporter: A CONSERVATIVE CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST SAYS HE HAS LOST TRUST IN THE MEDIA'S ABILITY TO BE OBJECTIVE. >> MORE PARROTING, MORE HEADLINES, BUMPER STICKER QUOTES AND BURNING THROUGH STUFF WITHOUT DEPTH, THAT IS WHAT I THINK UPSETS A LOT OF INTELLIGENT PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KNOW MORE OF THE TRUE STORY. TO MAKE YOUR FAKE NEWS. >> Reporter: DR. DANIEL CREASES POLITICIANS OF LONG TRIED TO DISCREDIT REPORTERS, BUT THE RHETORIC, HE SAYS, HAS BEEN AMPLIFIED UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> POLITICIANS ARE CAPITALIZING ON THE FACT THAT AMERICANS ARE MORE PARTISAN THAN THEY WERE 20, 30, 40 YEARS AGO. DELEGITIMIZING THOSE DEPENDENT VOICES THAT ARE WORKING TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE IS TO A POLITICIAN, GAME. >> Reporter: USES THE RISE OF CABLE TV, INDEPENDENT WEBSITES, AND SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE BLURRED THE LINES BETWEEN NEWS AND OPINION. >> WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING TOLD HALF-TRUTHS, TOTAL, BLATANT LIES. >> Reporter: HE SAYS THE TERM FAKE NEWS MIGHT BE STICKING AROUND. BUT SO IS JOURNALISM. ONE OF THE PILLARS TO OUR GREAT DEMOCRACY. >> I THINK LAST WEEK WAS A DEEP WAKE-UP CALL. I HOPE THAT WE WILL SEE SOME NEW WAYS TO COME TOGETHER TO CLEARLY REJECT THESE ANTIDEMOCRATIC THREATS, AND BUILD A COMMON LIFE MOVING FORWARD. >> Reporter: I AM JOE FISHER, WRAL NEWS. >> JOE WILL JOIN US IN A FEW MINUTES HOW HE GOES ABOUT HIS JOB AS A REPORTER TO ENSURE FAIRNESS. WILL ALSO HEAR MORE FROM ONE OF THE PEOPLE YOU SAW, WHO IS LOST TRUST IN THE MEDIA. AND PAT McCRORY WHO NOW HAS A DAILY RADIO TALK SHOW IN CHARLOTTE. FIRST, WITH TREMENDOUS INSIGHT INTO THIS ISSUE, SUSAN KING AT UNC, DEAN KING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. >> WITHIN HOURS OF THE ATTACK AT THE CAPITOL, YOU SENT A MESSAGE TO THE ALUMNI DATABASE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF A FREE PRESS AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN THE DEMOCRACY, SAYING, QUOTE, DEMOCRACY IS FRAGILE AND THE LIFEBLOOD IS A ROBUST AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA. HOW ARE THE MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY INTERTWINED? >> I GUESS I HAVE ALWAYS FELT SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO BE A JOURNALIST, BECAUSE A JOB WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT BEHIND US. THE FOUNDING FATHERS BELIEVED IN THE ROLE OF THE PRESS AND THOSE GREAT QUOTES FROM JESPERSEN, WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE? BETTER REPORTERS OR NOXIOUS REPORTERS, OR NO REPORTERS? HE DECIDED TO HAVE REPORTERS. IT HELPS TO KEEP US ON OUR TOES , SOMEONE HAS TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS. JOURNALISTS DO THAT. >> MANY AMERICANS BELIEVE THE MEDIA IS BIASED AND TRYING TO PUSH AN AGENDA, SOME BELIEVING THE MEDIA IS TRYING TO RUIN THE COUNTRY. IS THE MEDIA TO BLAME FOR THE POLITICAL DIVIDE? >> I THINK WE HAVE SEEN THE TRUST IN THE MEDIA ERODE FOR MANY YEARS NOW. IT IS THAT A REAL HIGH POINT, AND AS DEAN OF A JOURNALISM SCHOOL, I FEEL PART OF MY JOB IS TO TRY TO REBUILD THAT TRUST. AND REALLY ACCESS THE VALUE. I HAVE PARTNERED WITH JOURNALIST IN ARKANSAS, AND WE STAND BY THE VALUES THAT SAY THERE MUST NOT BE -- THERE ARE OPINIONS, AND THERE IS SEXUAL FACTUAL REPORTING, AND WE HAVE TO BRING INTO OUR STUDENTS THE IDEA OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A JOURNALIST SERVING THE PUBLIC AND BRINGING THEM THE TRUTH IS WE LEARNED BECAUSE WE ARE TRUTH SEEKERS. WE DON'T REALLY HOLD OURSELVES TO THE ULTIMATE TRUTH. >> YOU WANT TO ASK YOU MORE ABOUT THAT IN OUR NEXT SEGMENT. FOR NOW, IN YOUR LETTER TO THE ALUMNI, HE ALSO WROTE, THIS PARTISAN ERA IN AMERICA HAS LED TO MANY LOSING TRUST IN JOURNALISM, AND THE PRESIDENT HAS SPENT FOUR YEARS TEARING DOWN OUR SYSTEM OF A FREE PRESS. HOW MUCH OF THIS LACK OF TRUST IS THE MEDIA'S FAULT? AND WOULD PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE ANY POWER TO CALL THE MEDIA "FAKE NEWS" OF PEOPLE DIDN'T FIND SOME TRUTH TO THAT? >> THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAID USES CERTAIN PHRASES PEOPLE STARTED TO BELIEVE IT IF IT IS SET OFTEN ENOUGH. I THINK THAT THE PROFESSOR WHO YOU HAD IN THE PIECE BEFORE EXPLAINED IT ALSO WELL. THERE'S A BLURRING RIGHT NOW. I CONSIDER CABLE NEWS AT NIGHT, WHICH I WATCH, NEWS. I SEE OPINION FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, AND EYES GO ACROSS THE AISLE. ITS REAL OPINION, AND YET PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE WATCHING THE NEWS. SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALL OF THE BLOCK. THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT IT, I UNDERSTAND WHY THE PUBLIC MAY BE CONFUSED. MORE THAN WE HAVE EVER HAD BEFORE, BUT WE GET MIXED UP WITH REPORTING. OPINION IS ONE THING, REPORTING IS ANOTHER. >> WE COULD DO ANOTHER PROGRAM ON SOCIAL MEDIA. HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE THE DISSEMINATION OF TRUTHFUL INFORMATION? >> IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU GET. OUR STUDENTS ALL GET THEIR NEWS FROM THE TELEPHONE, RIGHT? TO THE NOWHERE THIS COMING FROM? IT COMES ACROSS AS A HEADLINE. TO THEY KNOW IF IT IS -- THE STUDY DONE BY GALLUP FOUND THAT MORE PEOPLE BELIEVED IN LOCAL TELEVISION MEDIA. THEY WATCH YOU EVERY NIGHT. THEY KNOW WHO YOU ARE, THEY MAY KNOW YOUR BIASES. THE PROBLEM I FIND IS THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GETTING THIS INFORMATION. REAL MISINFORMATION, ORGANIZED AND PROPAGANDA IS WHAT YOU WOULD'VE CALLED IN WORLD WAR II. THAT IS COMING ACROSS AS A STORY OR A HEADLINE. SO, WE TRY TO ALSO TEACH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ACROSS THE CAMPUS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO READ THE MEDIA. BECAUSE THERE IS SOME VERY BIASED MEDIA, THERE IS SOME VERY POLITICAL MEDIA, AND SOME NEWS WERE PEOPLE TRYING TO REALLY GRAPPLE WITH THE TRUTH. >> I HAVE THAT STUDY RIGHT HERE, I HAVE BEEN READING IT DILIGENTLY. >> WAY! >> LOOKING AT TRUST IN THE MEDIA. ONES SHOWS THAT AMERICANS TRUST LOCAL NEWS MORE THE NATIONAL NEW. WHAT YOU THINK THAT IS? >> THEY IDENTIFY WITH THE PEOPLE GIVING THEM THE NEWS AND THEY GET TO BE WITH THEM EVERY DAY. THEY DON'T KNOW WHO IS TELLING THE NEWS OFTEN ON THE OTHER. BUT SOMETIMES, WHAT REALLY WORRIES ME ABOUT THAT STUDY, I THINK WE HAVE TO FACE UP TO HIS REPUBLICANS ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE NEWS THE DEMOCRATS. DEMOCRATS SAY THEY CAN BELIEVE IT, AND THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR ME IS YOUNG PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER 65 HAVE A FAVORABLE VIEW OF THE NEW. THOSE UNDER 30, 19% SAID THEY HAVE A FAVORABLE NEWS VIEW. WHAT ARE WE BUILDING GOING FORWARD? I AM DEDICATED TO REALLY GOING TO REBUILD TRUST IN THE MEDIA, AND TO FIGHT FOR IT. WHICH IS WHY PUT THAT STATEMENT OUT. I THINK THE MEDIA DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN THE LEAST REVEALING TO US REVEALING WHAT WAS GOING ON DURING A VERY CHAOTIC AFTERNOON. >> I WANT TO ASK YOU SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS, AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT SEGMENT, TO. REPUBLICANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DISTRUST THE MEDIA, THAT IS ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE ASKED FOUR REPUBLICANS, McCRORY WHY THAT IS, COMING UP. >> WELCOME BACK TO "ON THE RECORD", I AM DEBRA MORGAN. WERE TALKING ABOUT FAITH AND TRUST IN THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN OUR DEMOCRACY. FOR ANYONE WITH AN EXTENDED INTEREST, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK OUT IN AUGUST 2020 STUDY FROM THE GALLUP FOUNDATION, IT MEASURED 20,000 AMERICANS ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE MEDIA. ONE OF THEIR METRICS, AMERICANS PERCEPTIONS OF POLITICAL BIAS IN THE NEWS BY POLITICAL PARTY. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS GRAPHIC. 46% OF AMERICANS OVERALL BELIEVE THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF BIAS IN NEWS COVERAGE BY PARTIES, THE NUMBERS LOWER AMONG DEMOCRATS A 27%. NEARLY HALF OF INDEPENDENTS AND TWO THIRDS OF REPUBLICANS AT 60%. IN AN EFFORT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS GREATER DISTRUST AMONG REPUBLICANS, WE INVITED TWO PANELISTS YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS ON WRAL, PAT McCRORY AND CAMPAIGN SYNERGIST STEVE XAVIER. GOVERNOR YOU HAVE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, YOU NOW HAVE A DAILY RADIO TALK SHOW IN CHARLOTTE. AS WE LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY CAN YOU TELL US WHY REPUBLICANS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DISTRUST THE MEDIA? >> LET ME FIRST SAY, NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THE MEDIA ON A RADIO TALK SHOW AND I DO MEET THE PRESS ABOUT EVERY TWO MONTHS FOR THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, I HAVE REALIZED THERE IS A SIMILARITY BETWEEN POLITICIANS AND THE MEDIA. THEY BOTH HAVE THIN SKIN, THEY'RE BOTH RATHER NARCISSISTIC, AND THEY'RE BOTH IN A BUSINESS OF SPEAKING TO THEIR BASE. BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO RESPOND TO WHAT THE BASE SAYS, BECAUSE THAT IS HOW THE REVENUES DERIVED. SO THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU'RE IN MEDIA, IT IS A BUSINESS. AND THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR BILLS. AND THAT MAY ALSO SHOW THE BIAS IN THE NARRATIVE OF THE STORIES THAT ARE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC. IN WHATEVER LOCATION THE MAJORITY MIGHT BE IN THE AREA. SO YES, I BELIEVE, IS A REPUBLICAN, THE MAJORITY OF MEDIA TENDS TO BE MORE LIBERAL BIASED, BUT ALSO THE MEDIA IS VERY SEGREGATED. IN THEIR OWN SILOS, ESPECIALLY ON CABLE TV, WHERE THE LIBERALS ARE LISTENING TO LIBERALS COME THE CONSERVATIVES ARE LISTENING TO CONSERVATIVES. AND NO ONE IS HEARING BOTH SIDES. WHICH I THINK IS VERY DANGEROUS TO OUR DEMOCRACY, REGARDING THE SEGREGATION OF MEDIA AND THE AUDIENCE IT REACHES OUT AND THE NARRATIVE SET IN THAT MEDIA TO THE AUDIENCE THEY KNOW THEY DON'T WANT TO LOSE IN ORDER TO MAKE PROFIT. >> STEPHEN, WE HEARD YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU DISTRUST OF THE MEDIA, IS THIS NEW FOR YOU OR HAVE YOU FELT THIS WAY FOR SOMETIME? >> FOR SOMETIME. I THINK SUSAN RAISED A COUPLE OF GREAT POINTS, I WILL CAPTURE ONE ABOUT BLURRING THE LINES. AND ALSO THE GOVERNORS SIMILAR POINT. I THINK THE ISSUE, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE TAKING THE TALKING HEADS AND THE PUNDITS VERY LITERALLY AS THOUGH THEIR EXPERTS, MANY TIMES THEY'RE NOT. ALTHOUGH DON LEMON AND SEAN HANNITY MAY LOOK LIKE THEIR NEWSPEOPLE THEY'RE NOT. THEIR PUNDITS AND EACH HAS THEIR OWN EXTREME BY. ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE AND LISTEN TO THE MORE OBJECTIVE, BUT THE POINT THIS IS AN AND THE GOVERNOR MADE, ONE OF THE ISSUES GOING BACK TO THE GOVERNOR'S COMMENT ABOUT WHY SO MANY REPUBLICANS FEEL THERE SUCH BIAS IN THE MEDIA IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE FOX NEWS AND EVERYBODY ELSE. IT IS SO OVERWHELMING, LIBERAL VERSUS CONSERVATIVE, THE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IF YOU WILL, FEEL THAT WAY. AND ONLY RECENTLY, TWO NETWORKS ARE UP AND RUNNING. BUT THEY'RE JUST COMING OUT OF THAT HIGH SCHOOL THEATRICAL KIND OF LOOK, THEY'RE NOT AS PROFESSIONALS FOX NEWS. IT HAS A WAYS TO GO BEFORE THE OVERWHELMING FEELING IS OVERCOME BY REPUBLICANS OR CONSERVATIVES TO LISTEN TO THE NEW. >> GOVERNOR YOU ARE IN OFFICE WHEN HB TO BRETT LGBTQ WRITES TO THE FOREFRONT, HOW DID THE MEDIA TREAT YOU THEN? >> VERY POORLY. FIRST OF ALL, MOST OF THE MEDIA NEVER READ THE BILL. THERE WAS ONLY FIVE PAGES, I COULD TELL BY THE INTERVIEWS AND NO ONE EVEN UNDERSTOOD THE BILL AND KNEW THAT HALF OF IT HAD TO DO WITH MINIMUM WAGE AND CITY ABILITY TO MAKE LAWS OUTSIDE OF THE STATE. THAT IS REALLY WHAT THE BILL WAS ABOUT, BUT THEY FOCUSED ON THE ORIENTATION ASPECT OF IT, WHICH BRINGS MORE VIEWERS. AND THAT WAS VERY DISCOURAGING TO ME. PLUS, I SPENT MAYBE .2% OF MY TIME ON THAT DURING MY FOUR YEARS AS GOVERNOR, AS OPPOSED TO THE MORE COMPLEX ISSUE OF DOING THE BUDGET, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH HEALTHCARE OVERRUNS, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH TRANSPORTATION ISSUES? THE MEDIA WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THOSE ISSUES AT THE LOCAL, STATE, OR NATIONAL LEVEL. THEY WERE INTERESTED IN THE ISSUES THAT BROUGHT MORE CLICKS AND MORE VIEWERS. AND THAT WAS VERY DISCOURAGING, BECAUSE 99.9% OF MY TIME WAS NOT SPENT ON THE ISSUES OF THE MEDIA COVERED. I SPENT A LOT OF STUDY TIME ON VERY COMPLEX ISSUES THAT MAYORS AND GOVERNORS AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH HAS TO DEAL WITH. FRANKLY, THE MEDIA IS NOT INTERESTED BECAUSE IT IS BORING. THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE MEDIA RIGHT NOW. BUT THAT IS THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THE MEDIA. THEY WANT CLICKS NOW. >> I WANT TO BRING THE SUSAN KING BACK INTO THE CONVERSATION NOW, YOU ARE THE HEAD OF A VERY RESPECTED JOURNALISM SCHOOL. PEOPLE RESPECT YOU, HOW DO YOU TEACH STUDENTS SO THEY CAN BE TRUSTED JOURNALISTS? IS IT HARD TO PUT THEIR BIAS ASIDE? >> I AM GOING TO SAY, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF WHERE THEY SEE, YES I THINK IT IS. I WILL PUT IT A DIFFERENT WAY. I DEFINITELY THINK SOME EVENING SHOWS ARE PLAYING TO THE BASE, AS YOU SAY. SEAN HANNITY, DON LEMON, THEY HAVE THE BASE. BUT I DON'T THINK RAL IS, I THINK THEIR PLANE TO THEIR COMMUNITY AND REALLY GREAT JOURNALISM ORGANIZATIONS, WHO IS THE AUDIENCE AND HOW CAN WE SERVE THEM AND WHERE TRYING TO DEVELOP JOURNALISTS WHO WILL REALLY SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY. I THINK THIS YOUNG GENERATION IS ALSO MUCH MORE AWARE OF THEIR IDENTITY, THERE IS SO MUCH THEY GROW UP WITH, FACEBOOK, THEY HAVE STUFF HANGING OUT FROM THE TIME THEY ARE 14. INSTAGRAM ETC. WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH THEM THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A REPORTER, YOU DON'T ERASE -- I WAS THE FIRST WOMAN IN EVERY NEWSROOM I WAS IN. I WASN'T GOING TO BE THE WOMAN REPORTER, BUT I WAS BRINGING MY PERSPECTIVE. I SEE STORIES THAT THE GUYS DID NOT SEE. BELIEVED I COULD FIND WHEN I CAN INTERVIEW. BUT I WAS THERE TO TELL YOU WHAT I LEARNED, NOT WHAT I THOUGHT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW. IF I WAS AN OPINION PERSON I WOULD PROBABLY BE MAKING MORE MONEY LIKE SEAN HANNITY, BUT THAT WAS NOT MY JOB. SO WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE ROLE, BUT NOT TO A RACE WHETHER THEY'RE BLACK OR HISPANIC OR . LGBTQ, OR WOMAN. BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY PUT ON THAT JACKET, THAT WHITE COAT OF OBJECTIVITY, TO TELL THE PUBLIC WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT THE ARGUMENTS ARE. NOT WHAT TO THINK. >> ONE ADDITIONAL THING, THE PROTESTERS, AM SO GLAD THERE IS FOLLOW-UP ON WHO THE HECK THESE PROTESTERS ARE IN DC. AND WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY COME FROM. THAT'S GOOD. BUT EVERY DAY WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR, THERE WERE FIVE OR SIX PROTESTERS AND THEY WOULD COME RIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE 6:00 NEWS, THE MINUTE THE CAMERAS LEFT, THEY LEFT. BUT THEY GOT THIS TV TIME AND NO ONE EVER KNEW WHO WAS COORDINATING THOSE PROTESTERS. AND THAT IS PART OF THE NEW STORY THAT IS BEING LEFT OUT AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL, IS WHO ARE THE PROTESTERS? WHO IS PAYING FOR THEM? TRANSPORTATION, COORDINATION, THE SIGNS? BECAUSE THERE'S USUALLY A POLITICAL AGENDA BEHIND EVERY PROTESTING GROUP LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE. AND THE POLITICIANS KNOW WHO THEY ARE, I THINK THE MEDIA DOES TOO, BUT THE MEDIA NEEDS TO CONVEY THAT MORE TO THE AUDIENCE. WITH A COVER EITHER LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL PROTEST. I'M FINALLY GLAD TO SUSAN PROTESTERS CALLED OUT. IN AMERICA, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE THAT MAKE PRETTY RADICAL COMMENTS OR DESTROY PROPERTY? >> AS DEAN KING SAID, THIS WEEK, MARKING 28 YEARS HERE AT WRAL, GOT INTO THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND ANSWER COMMUNITY QUESTIONS TO ASK DEEP, PROBING QUESTIONS TO GET TO THE HEART OF THE ISSUE. I HOPE WE CAN. AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, GO THROUGH ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO, AS WE WRAP UP, ASK A QUESTION OF ALL OF YOU. WHAT CAN THE MEDIA DO TO EARN BACK TRUST? GOVERNOR, YOU FIRST. >> I THINK THE FIRST THING THEY NEED TO DO IS GIVE A BROAD PERSPECTIVE OF COMPLEX ISSUES. AND NOT MAKE IT BLACK AND WHITE ISSUES, BECAUSE MOST COMPLEX ISSUES HAVE FIVE OR SIX SIDES TO THEM, NOT JUST TWO SIDES TO THEM. AND THE NEED TO FOCUS ON LONG- TERM ISSUES. THAN SHORT-TERM 24 HOURS NEW CYCLE ISSUES. >> STEPHEN, WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> I WOULD HINGE ON A POINT THAT SUSAN RAISED, I HAVE A 16- YEAR-OLD AND A 20-YEAR-OLD. I THINK THEIR GENERATION AND THE TWO BEFORE THEM IS BECOME SUCH AN INSATIABLE APPETITE, AND APPETITE THAT HE SATISFACTION RIGHT NOW. I THINK THAT IS TRANSLATING INTO A LOT OF THE YOUNG JOURNALISTS THAT WE SEE OUT THERE. THE 20 SOMETHINGS AND 30 SOMETHINGS ARE NOT TAKING THE TIME TO DIG IN AND DELVE INTO THE STORY OBJECTIVELY, AND FIND THE FACTS AND REPORT JUST THE FACTS. VISIT BACK IN THE DAY, JUST THE FACTS, MAN. >>> DANA KANG? >> EVERY DAY THEY GO OUT AND TRY TO TELL THE TRUTH IF THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND IT? WE HAVE A MOMENT IN THIS COUNTRY WERE DIVIDED. I HOPE WE ARE NOT HEADED FOR CIVIL WAR, IT IS BEEN A PRETTY TOUGH WEEK, LET'S FACE IT. IF YOU CAN BRING THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS TOGETHER AND TRY NOT TO HAVE PEOPLE SHOUTING AT EACH OTHER BUT TO AS JOURNALISTS, TELEVISION, RADIO, NEWSPAPERS, BRING DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT BETTER. HOPEFULLY WE WILL WIN BACK THE TRUST. TODAY BUT A PROCESS. >> I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT, I AGREE. THINK TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND INSIGHT INTO THIS VERY IMPORTANT DISCUSSION. >> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO DO IT. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT WAS GREAT. >> THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. WHEN "ON THE RECORD" CONTINUES, BREAK. >> AS WE HEARD AT THE TOP OF THE DISCUSSION, JOE FISHER REPORTED ON WHY THE MEDIA IS LOSING TRUST. HE JOINS US NOW TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IS REPORTERS GO ABOUT DOING THEIR JOBS. JOE, LET'S START WITH HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A REPORTER? WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO ENTER THIS FIELD? >> GOING ON EIGHT OR NINE YEARS AT THIS POINT, THIS IS MY FOURTH THIRD TV STATION. I WORKED AT A NEWSPAPER OUT OF COLLEGE, THREE TV STATIONS, RADEAS LABS -- I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 2 1/2 YEARS AGO. I WAS LIKE TALKING TO PEOPLE AND TELLING PEOPLE THINGS THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW OR THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE MISSED AND ONCE THEY STARTED STUDYING JOURNALISM AT THE COLLEGE AND ACTUALLY STARTED PRACTICING THE CRAFT IN DOING THIS EVERY DAY, IT KIND OF JUST BECAME AN ADDICTING KIND OF SENSE OF TELLING PEOPLE THINGS EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW AND GIVING PEOPLE A VOICE. AND JUST BEING THAT ADVOCATE. I KNOW DEAN KING WAS MENTIONING SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY. MOST OF THE JOURNALISM, MOST OF THE JOURNALISTS I'VE WORKED WITH, GOT INTO THIS BUSINESS TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND JUST TO BE THAT ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE THEY SERVE. >> IT IS QUITE AN HONOR. WHAT STEPS YOU TAKE TO PUT YOUR STORIES TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE BEING FAIR? >> EVERY DAY STARTS WITH EDITORIAL MEETINGS, AND WE STARTED WITH WHAT OUR STORIES ARE FOR THE DAY, WHAT IS OUT THERE, WHAT WE ARE GOING TO COVER. REPORTERS ARE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, PITCHING STORIES, TRYING TO GET THINGS ON THEIR. AS FAR AS BEING FAIR, GOES THROUGH A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE EVERY MORNING, WHICH IS A CALL WITH 20 TO 30 PEOPLE GIVING THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT STORIES, WHAT VOICES SHOULD BE INCLUDED, WHO DO WE WANT TO INTERVIEW, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET BOTH SIDES? AND IF THE OTHER SIDE IS NOT TALKING, HOW CAN WE GET A STATEMENT? THE GOVERNOR PROBABLY CAN TELL YOU ABOUT REACHING OUT FOR A STATEMENT IF THEY DON'T WANT TO SAY SOMETHING OR IF THEY DON'T WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE STORY THAT WE WILL AT LEAST TRY TO GET BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY EVERY SINGLE DAY. EVERY SINGLE TIME. >> YOU AND I WERE TOGETHER ON THE AIR FOR MANY, MANY HOURS IN MAY DURING THE BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS. MANY PEOPLE SHARED WITH YOU, DID YOU GET ANY PUSHBACK? >> OH TONS OF PUSHBACK. THE BLACK LIVES MATTER RALLIES AND PROTESTS OVER THE SUMMER, ESPECIALLY THE ONES WHERE WE HAD PEOPLE BREAKING THE LAW, WHETHER THEY WERE BLOCKING THE ROAD OR WHETHER THEY WERE THROWING FIREWORKS AT STATE TROOPERS, YEAH, THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE ON CAMERAS. THEY PUT WATER BOTTLES IN OUR FACES, UMBRELLAS IN FRONT OF OUR CAMERAS. WE HAD TO USE TRIPODS JUST BLOCKS THEM FROM US BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WANT TO BE SEEN. I THINK THAT IS NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE BREAKING THE LAW IN MANY CASES, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, LIKE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT , DOES NOT MATTER WHAT SIDE OF THE AISLE YOU'RE ON. >> JOE WE COULD GO FOR HOURS, I'M SORRY WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. JOE FISHER, THANK YOU. JOIN THE CONVERSATION. >> WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU, FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, EMAIL US YOUR COMMENTS, OR WRITE A LETTER ON THE RECORD PO BOX 12,000, RALEIGH, 27605.

More here:

On the Record, Jan. 16, 2021: Media and fake news - WRAL.com

Rob Lowe just made headlines for claiming he saw Prince Harry with a ponytail!

Extras Billy Bush caught up with Lowe, who explained why he thought Harry had a new do.

The actor, who lives near Prince Harry in Montecito, said, I get excited when celebrities and famous people move into my neighborhood I was at the stoplight and I saw a very blacked out look-at-me-dont-look-at-me, that kind of car and I looked and it was for sure him. I think it was a ponytail. I could be wrong. Im not going stake my journalistic reputation on it.

He continued, This is the same guy that said Peyton Manning was retiring and he only went on to win one more Super Bowl after that. I may be the guy who invented fake news.

Rob is breaking all sorts of news with his star-packed podcast Literally. He just got Lisa Kudrow to dish on the Friends reunion, telling him they already shot some stuff for the highly anticipated HBO Max show. This week is Lisa Kudrow, and I got her to tell me about some secret stuff that she shot for the Friends reunion.

Billy told him, Pass that on, pass that on. Give us a taste. Smiling, Rob replied, Listen, Billy Bush Youre not the only people getting scoop today.

His show, 9-1-1: Lone Star is back for Season 2. Billy pointed out, Were coming in with a massive explosion. There is a death. What is happening in this premiere? Rob answered, This year is actually really funny because of Lisa Edelstein, who was my characters girlfriend on The West Wing.

Billy commented, Reunited and feels so good. Rob agreed, It feels very good and it feels very funny, but in the next scene you could have someone fall into a lava pit Its really a big year, really fun. Really fun.

Billy complimented the 56-year-old, saying, Rob, youve managed to stay in good shape. I dont see the COVID 15 on you.

Rob told him, Oh, its here, if you dont think Ive framed this But in all seriousness, its why Im working for the Atkins people, because everybody I talk to is like, What do I do with this COVID weight?"

Billy asked about "The Atkins 100 Eating Solution" book, and Rob answered, "The book that I wrote the foreword on is great if you have these kinds of questions.

Go here to see the original:

Rob Lowe on Whether That Prince Harry Ponytail Story Was 'Fake News' - Extra

A viral Facebook post claiming the NAACP received information that white supremacists and neo-Nazis were planning violent attacks on Black and Brown boys and men is fake news, according to the organization.

The post received traction online and was being spread throughout messaging apps and on other social media platforms.

The post stated that the NAACP received a warning stating that white supremacist and white nationalists are looking for young black and brown boys and men to torture and kill for their initiations.

But the organization has rejected the claims.

In a statement on its website, NAACP said, while we take all matters of racial discrimination and racial hatred seriously, these statements are not from the NAACP.

These social media posts and press releases appear to be associated with a Huey P. Newton group, which has no affiliation to the NAACP.

The Huey P. Newton group has not yet addressed the claims.

The organizations Vice President of Marketing, Trovon Williams said the false information is being used to bring about fear and division in the community.

These remain divisive times and mechanisms like this remain as opportunities to bring about fear within our community. The NAACPs position is very clear: we will not be divided and we will not be fearful. Stay home and stay safe, he said in a video posted to Twitter.

This is not the first time that the NAACP has been at the center of fake threats. In July, a similar rumor was posted on social media.

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NAACP says Viral Warnings About Threats of Violence is "Fake News" - caribbeannationalweekly.com

After getting caught for peddling fake news about paddy procurement by the government, controversial NDTV news anchor Ravish Kumar has now apologized for spreading fake news. The controversial NDTV news anchor Ravish Kumar took to Facebook to post an apology after he admitted to making a mistake of putting false information without verifying facts.

In his Facebook post, Ravish Kumar said that he had made a mistake in the last episode of his prime time show where he was highlighting the distortion of data by the government, however, the information that was put out was not complete.

The information is incomplete and therefore it is not correct. In this event, a mistake was also committed by me in the episode of 14 January. The analysis of a tweet put out by the Railway Minister turned out to be a mistake, said Ravish Kumar in his Facebook post.

Hilariously, while apologising for spreading fake news, Ravish Kumar says that Godi Media, which is essentially media that does not follow his editorial line of spreading misinformation and propaganda, should not excited by such a mistake. Further, he tells other journalists to challenge him on his facts. It is worthy to point out that the entire post is actually about him apologising for spreading fake news.

In his Facebook post, he further asks Godi Media to Think about the kind of misunderstanding being spread. Further he says, Notice has been issued on this. Id reply but the surprising thing is I catches many mistakes and lies in my program is no answer.

While apologising, Ravish Kumar continued to blame the government and also, claiming that he catches many such lies in his program and the government has never answered for those, and hence, he is the bigger person for responding to the notice sent to him.

It is pertinent to point out here that Ravish Kumar has a history of spreading misinformation and fake news and has in no way caught many lies. Of the many examples, just one would be sufficient to provide a window into his journalism. During the Delhi anti-Hindu riots, Ravish Kumar had conveniently changed the identity of Mohammad Shahrukh, who was seen threatening cops with a gun pointed towards their head, to Anurag Mishra simple to peddle his own agenda and shield the perpetrators. That does not really seem like someone who catches so many mistakes with others.

On January 14, NDTV India anchor Ravish Kumar had claimed that the Modi government had given false data regarding the farm product procurement. In his show Prime Time With Ravish Kumar, the controversial Congress-era journalist had referred to an infographic posted by minister Piyush Goyal to deliberately mislead the public by saying that the data given by the government in the graphic is wrong.

Earlier, Food and Public Distribution minister Piyush Goyal had informed that till January 10, the centre had procured 534 Lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy, compared to 423 LMT in the same period last year. Therefore, the paddy procurement has gone up by 26% till now this year.

However, Ravish Kumar, as usual resorting to his false propaganda, had alleged that as per data available on the website of Food and Public Distribution ministry, the total paddy procurement in 2019-20 was 519 LMT, not 423 LMT, therefore the increase in the procurement is not 26% as claimed by the government. He said that either someone has made a mistake in the govt of India, or wrong numbers are being used to spread falsehood.

In fact, it was Ravish Kumar had deliberately lied to the public by cropping the image of the tweet of Piyush Goyal to put out misleading claims. The minister had clearly said that the data is for procurement up to 10 January. However, in an attempt to blame the government, Ravish Kumar used the incomplete procurement data of the income from 2019-20 to put out misinformation about public procurement.

After Ravish Kumar tried to mislead the public by putting out false data, the union government had taken a strong objection and had categorically stated that the procurement has gone up by 26% in the said period.

The ministry termed the program a shocking display of poor journalism and sheer disregard of actual facts and had issued notice to NDTV on the 15th of January 2021, as reported exclusively by OpIndia yesterday.

The union government has taken a strong objection to the fake news peddled by Ravish Kumar, and has confirmed that the paddy procurement upto 10 January 2020 was 423 LMT. And therefore, it is correct that the procurement has gone up by 26% in the said period. The ministry termed the program a shocking display of poor journalism and sheer disregard of actual facts.

The letter sent to the NDTV Ethics committee by the Press Information Bureaus Additional Director General has said that Ravish Kumar has done an unfair comparison of full year procurement of 2019-20 with ongoing procurement for 2020-21. It also states that Piyush Goyals tweet was cropped in the TV program, giving the impression that it was a malafide act.

The letter notes that at a sensitive time when farmers are protesting near Delhi, Ravish Kumar has misrepresented important facts, which misleads the farmers and incites negative sentiments in the society. The letter also said that Ravish Kumar has done an unfair comparison of full-year procurement of 2019-20 with ongoing procurement for 2020-21. It is this letter that Ravish Kumar is saying that he will respond to in the due course of time.

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Ravish Kumar apologises for spreading fake news about paddy procurement by govt after letter to NDTV by PIB: Here is what he said - OpIndia

The suggestion street races will not take place are completely wrong- F1 remarks Monaco GP cancellation reports fake, denying any further changes.

The Dutch magazine Formule 1s website on Saturday claimed that Monaco Grand Prix and Azerbaijan and Canada would be scrapped for the second consecutive year, with the confirmation due to happen next month.

The rationale proposed in the report explains that the ongoing pandemic continues to cause uncertainty towards street races planning, considering the work required to put in the infrastructure to make it viable.

However, a report by PlanetF1.com claims to debunk this story, as they declare to have been in a conversation with an F1 spokesperson who has insisted that Formula 1 is not planning to make any further alterations in the calendar.

We have set out the details of the revised 2021 calendar, and there are no other changes. The suggestion street races will not take place are completely wrong. said the F1 spokesperson.

Last year, five new venues came in to rescue the ravaged 2020 F1 calendar, and Imola was among them, which has now been granted a slot in 2021.

Meanwhile, F1 has to look after for the vacant Vietnam Grand Prix slot, as the Asian hosts decided to quit from the team of organizers because of COVID-19 widespread.

Portuguese Grand Prix expected to be inked in for May 2 to simplify logistics ahead of the visit to Barcelonas Circuit de Catalunya a week later.

On the other hand, Formule1s news also claimed that three venues had already been earmarked to fill in for the races said to have been in jeopardy Istanbul, Mugello and Nurburgring in chronological order.

So it remains to be seen what updates F1 will be forced to make in coming days, with the world still combating the deadly virus.

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"The suggestion street races will not take place are completely wrong"- F1 calls Monaco GP cancellation... - The Sportsrush

By Marvin Charles Jan 11, 2021

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Cape Town - Just hours before President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation after rumours of a hard lockdown, fake news has been circulating over WhatsApp over looming level 4 restrictions.

The message states: We just had confirmation from National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) that employers/businesses must prepare for level 4 provincial lockdown for 30 days from January 16 to February 15 and only 10% workforce capacity.

All international travel and borders will shut down date to be confirmed as all travellers will be given time to leave or travel back to their home province. Alcohol and tobacco sales will be impacted; with more strict curfew hours.

Under level 4 restrictions that were in place in May, travel between provinces was banned, with the exception of transporting goods, and borders remained closed to international travel, except for the repatriation of South African nationals and foreign citizens.

Director of the Government Communication and Information System Phumla Williams confirmed that the WhatsApp message doing the rounds was untrue: The information being peddled purportedly from Nedlac on planned level 4 lockdown announcement is not true. It is fake news.

It's not the first time unconfirmed messages regarding Ramaphosa implementing lockdown restrictions surfaced, particularly around the tobacco ban.

Sources have, however, confirmed to the Cape Argus that a recommendation was made to the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) to move the country to level 4 of the lockdown for 30 days, but no decision had been taken.

Reports have indicated that Ramaphosa will be leaving South Africa on level 3 of the nationwide lockdown and continue the ban on the sale of alcohol.

Ramaphosas spokesperson, Tyrone Seale, said: The address follows meetings in recent NCCC, the Presidents Coordinating Council and Cabinet.

President Ramaphosa also hosted a virtual engagement on Sunday between government and interfaith leaders on the Covid-19 Risk-Adjusted Strategy which is an inclusive national effort that enables adaptive responses to the shifting pandemic. This engagement focused on the unfolding pandemic in the country and on the continent, including efforts to secure vaccines for all.

Cape Argus

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Level 4 lockdown message on WhatsApp slammed as fake news - IOL

Before a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol last week, the president gave a speech to his aggrieved supporters rife with lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories.

"The media is the biggest problem we have as far as Im concerned, single biggest problem, the fake news," Trump told his supporters. "We won this election, and we won it by a landslide."

Trump didn't win the election. Election officials and the departments of Justice and Homeland Security said the presidential election in November was fair, and on Thursday Congress certified Joe Biden as president elect. But Trump's speech and the chaos and violence it incited show the dangerous cultural, politicaland human consequences of false information. Experts say while certain factors may make someone more likely to believe false information, any of usare vulnerable.

President Donald Trump encourages protesters to "walk down to the Capitol" where lawmakers were set to confirm Joe Biden as president Jan. 6 before the rally became violent.(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)

"We are all susceptible," said Dolores Albarracin, a psychology professorat the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who studies attitudes,communicationand behavior. "Because we cannot physically verify many of our beliefs is the earth round? we need to trust sources and documentation. If we trust trustworthy sources, we are generally safe, although all sources are fallible. If we trust untrustworthy ones, we are in danger."

De-radicalization: If someone you care about has been radicalized, here's what to know

A 2019 Ipsos survey of online users found 86% admit to falling for "fake news" at least once in their lifetime, and a 2014 study found in any given year roughly half of Americans believe in at least one conspiracy theory.

"I don't think we fully understand the consequences of passing along bad information," said Al Tompkins, an expert at the Poynter Institute who teaches media literacy to senior citizens. "We have a personal, moral, ethical and civic responsibility to do basic amounts of research to know whether or not something that we're passing along is true."

Trump has endeavored to make "fake news" synonymous with the mainstream media. But conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation are more often found on social media, anonymous message boards and fringe websites that deceptively disseminate false or misleading content under the guise of legitimate news.

Many Americans say the spread of made-up news is causing significant harm, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey.

Column: Fake news victims are using lawsuits to shut down the lies. Can courts cure this plague?

"There is a myriad of consequences: From cynicism of government, the media, and science, to behaviors that harm individuals and others ... to large scale damage to public property, to insurrection," Albarracin said.

Albarracin said there is an important distinction between misinformation and conspiracy theories. Misinformation, she said, states something inaccurate. That the 2020 election was rigged is inaccurate. However, a conspiracy theory like QAnon is more elaborate and discredits any information that could prove that theory untrue, and therefore makes it much more difficult to correct.

Human beings want to be right, and when they search for information they do it with the intent of confirming what they already believe. It's called confirmation bias."

"It's always easier to take in information that you already believe," Tompkins said. "It's much more difficult and requires a whole different level of intellectual and emotional maturity to take in information that is not advantageous to you, that's not something you currently believe."

When someone feels the need to always be right, it can also shutdown productive conversation and healthy debate.

Save the Children?: Extremist conspiracy movement QAnon fabricates pedophile claims against Biden

"One way to be right is just to be louder," Tompkins said. "And there is an opposite and equal reaction to that that is very harmful to a democracy, and that is that other people just withdraw from the conversation. ... When they check out, then the forceful voice becomes the controlling voice."

People who primarily get their news from social media are at increased risk. A Pew report published in July shows Americans who rely primarily on social media for newsare more likely to be exposed to conspiracy theories and "tend to know less about the 2020 election, less about the coronavirus pandemic, and less about political news in general than people who rely on news websites, cable or network TV, radio, and print."

People with a sharper understanding of the news mediaare less likely to believe conspiracy theories, according to the 2017 study, News Media Literacy and Conspiracy Theory Endorsement."

"Individuals with higher levels of literacy are better-positioned to navigate the endless flow of media messages and to become more engaged, empowered and critical news consumers," the authors wrote.

There are also likely idiosyncratic motivational factors that may lead people to engage with misinformation, Pennycook said. Wanting to find an explanation for your child being sick, for example. Fear and anxiety can contribute to susceptibility.

Tompkins said all of us are responsible for how we consume and share information. Sometimes the way we talk about misinformation "presupposes that [people aren't] capable of protecting themselves, and I don't think that's the way to look at it," he said.

Fake news: What it is and how to spot it

All of ushave an obligation to establish the accuracy of a piece of information before passing it along. Tompkins said it's important toask:

"Have you done even the minimal amount of work to see if there's another way of seeing it?" he asked.

When engaging with someone who believes a piece of information that's unsupported by facts,demonstrate a willingness to listen. Trying to tell someone what to believe is never going to work, but you can offer to help someone explore their ideas.

Pennycook said you can also refer to the"Debunking Handbook," developed by dozens of academicsand which includes tips for correcting misinformation, includingstating the truth first in a clear and pithy way, explaining how the myth misleads and reinforcing the fact.

Educating people about facts and methods of verification has been shown to work, as has characterizing theories as illogical. But this, Albarracin said, has to occur ahead of someone subscribing to a conspiracy theory, in what is referred to as "prebunking."

"What works best is to prevent the formation of these beliefs," she said. "It is easy to introduce a belief but much harder to change it."

Tips: I'm a former CIA analyst trained to spot fake news. Here's how you can do it, too.

More: 'Significant and growing public health challenge,' Twitter cracks down on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

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Anyone can fall for 'fake news,' conspiracy theories: The psychology of misinformation - USA TODAY

HOUSTON, TX For a team that does not have playoff games to prepare for, the Houston Texans still find themselves the center of attention. With the coming of the offseason, the Texans, deciding that the 2020-2021 playoffs were not in their best interests, worked to fill two jobs: General Manager and Head Coach. Last week, the Texans filled the GM position with one Nick Caserio. However, everything associated with said hire came under withering scrutiny.

The main point of contention centers on the role of (former) Interim GM and Executive Vice President Jack Easterby. Easterby, a pastor by trade, since his arrival in 2019 has gone from an advisory role, working behind the scenesto still working behind the scenes, but also becoming a major force within the Texans organization. In some respects, a figure like Easterby has not been seen in the NFL before.

There are numerous figures that the media will use as comparisons for Easterby. While we at Totally Not Fake News could slip into that trap of just randomly saying that Easterby is like X, we figure that you, our valued readers, dont need to be pandered to or told what to think. To that end, we will do what the rest of the so-called media wont do and ask the tough questions.

The question at hand: Who is the most appropriate figure that compares to one Mr. Jack Easterby? There are some strong candidates.

[Editors Note: This is the obligatory spoiler alert note for certain characters/stories. However, by this point, if you havent read/heard about some of these folks, that is on you. Still, to avoid any potential litigation, we offer this preface].

Peytr Baelish (a/k/a Littlefinger)

This name has come up multiple times when discussing Easterby. In particular, the SI article (that for some reason you cant seem to find anywhere on the Texans website) made extensive use of that comparison. For those who are not familiar, Littlefinger is a character from Game of Thrones, noted for his ability to ingratiate himself with those in power, only to just as quickly betray them for his own ends. This is not too unfamiliar to the actions of Easterby, except there is not near as much violence (that we know about) and sex (that we definitely dont know and dont want to know about).

However, Littlefinger is not a religious figure, so there is a degree of divergence from Easterby. Also, the final fate of Littlefinger will depend on whether or not you follow the TV series or the books. If you just watched the show (all seven seasonssix of them were good), Littlefinger is no more (a satisfying coup de grace from Sansa Stark). If you follow the books, Littlefinger is still alive, with his final fate TBD (much like our very own Jack Easterby).

Final Totally Not Fake News Ranking:

Just check out the list of people that Littlefinger betrayed to their deaths/ruins. Easterby would have some work to get there, but he is off to a good start. Hopkins, BOB, trashing the recommendations of the Korn Ferry Firm who Cal paid six figures for advice. If you add the fact that a lot of the coaches wont return in 2021 due to Easterbys work (Crennel, Weaver for certain), it just adds to the tab. Theres merit in this comparison, but perhaps not a complete match.

Grima Wormtongue:

Almost as common as Littlefinger, you find just as many references to Wormtongue. An older literary figure from the classic Lord of the Rings saga, Wormtongue is the advisor to King Theoden of Rohan, who finds itself under siege from the forces of Saurman. A son of Rohan, Wormtongue has risen to a position of power. Theoden is in a weakened state, adding to the power of Wormtongues advice and sway over the king. This is not that dissimilar to the current Easterby/McNair relationship.

Yet there is a major difference between Wormtongue and Easterby, and it doesnt have to do with fashion sense. Wormtongue, for all of his smooth talking and his power within the center of Rohan, is not acting out of complete self-interest. He is but a minion for a greater power (Saurman). While it is kind of fun to think that Easterby is part of an eleventy degree game of chess with Bill Belichick and the Texans, that Easterby left the Patriots after Robert Kraft faced human trafficking charges indicate that he is not a welcome figure within the Patriots structure. Unless he were to drive Deshaun Watson to the Patriots. Oh, and Wormtongue, in both the book and the extended DVD version, does not survive to the end. Easterby, as of this writing, still has a longer life expectancy.

Final Totally Not Fake News Ranking:

While Wormtongues smooth talking fits in-line with Easterbys actions, and Cal McNair is proving to be as weak as a weakened Theoden, this is not quite the ideal match. Unless new information comes out that the Patriots actually sent Easterby to sabotage the Texans comes out, this rating will not go any higher.

Cardinal Richelieu:

We now move into the realm of an actual historical figure. The son of a minor French noble, the man known as the Red Eminence rose to become perhaps the most powerful non-King/Emperor/President in French history. While Richelieu is also a figure in fictional literature (see the Three Musketeers), the real Richelieu had more than enough in his bio to make him quite the powerful behind-the-scenes figure. Once he got into the good graces of the mother of Louis XIII, Richelieu assured himself a place of prominence within the French court. He eventually gained the favor of Louis XIII (when he came of age to rule). Richelieu took the lead on French foreign policy, guiding the kingdom through everything from the nightmarish 30 Years War to French settlements within the New World. Richelieu developed an extensive network of spies and informants, and many a challenger to Red Eminence found him or herself regulated to exile, prison, or burned at the stake. Yet for all of Richelieus power and influence, the real character never made a move to usurp the ultimate seat of power (either French King or Pope). As best we can tell, Easterby is not yet making a move to become the owner of all things associated with the Texans.

Of course, not all religious figures are created equal. Richelieu was a servant of the Catholic Church (the Protestant Huguenots being one of his many targets), yet Richelieu aligned France against the Catholic Habsburgs, displaying a degree of flexibility that Easterby could only dream of. At this point, Easterby is a Protestant preacher, but one could see him play the role of a good Catholic if he needed to in order to keep his job.

Final Totally Not Fake News Ranking:

Richelieu is perhaps the most aspirational figure of those mentioned for Easterby. How Richelieu managed to maintain power and keep his rivals down must create so much envy in Easterby. The takedown of DeAndre Hopkins and BOB are small potatoes to what Richelieu did to his rivals, who were established advisors to the King and powerful noblewomen who sought influence in the French court. Both could run afoul of powerful figures, but the example of how Richelieu juggled the ire of kings and Popes to remain in powerone can only imagine Easterbys reaction.

Rasputin:

Another real-life figure, although there is enough to create a great fictional villain for a miniseries, Rasputin emerged from obscure origins in Russia, finding his faith in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was a petty criminal from Siberia, but once he converted to Orthodox Christianity, he became a traveling pilgrim who gained a following. The exact date of his first meeting with the Tsar and his family is in dispute. However, Rasputin was able to convey to the royal family that he knew how to cure Alexei of his hemophilia. This led to his rise within the court of the Tsar, and as a result, increased power and influence. Rasputin made tons of enemies, but the weak-minded Nicholas II and his wife saw Rasputin as a valued figure within the court, public opinion be damned. This did not serve them well with the coming of World War I. The ill-guided decisions of the Tsar and accusations of Rasputins influence did little to help the Empire. By late 1916, Rasputin was seen as a threat to Russia and was eventually assassinated, only after he was poisoned, shot, and dumped into the frozen Neva River in St. Petersburg (and you thought Easterby was hard to get rid of).

A major point is that Rasputin, while making himself into a powerful figure in the Tsarist court, did not have ambitions that would see him overthrow the Tsar. He was content to remain a powerful, behind-the-scenes presence. Easterby is cut from that same mold. At least no one as tried to assassinate Easterby, although the Andre Johnson tweet could serve as a social media assassination. Much like many did not cry when the dead body of Rasputin was pulled from the Nevka, few would mourn the exit of Easterby from the Texans.

Final Totally Not Fake News Ranking:

While comparing the decline of a successful NFL team to the fall of a full-up empire is a bit of an overdramatic metaphor, the Rasputin angle works better than expected. Yes, the differences between Orthodox and Protestant Christianity are well noted, but still, a religious mystic works his way into a power structure and manages to entrench himself and while all else is falling apart, his position is secure because he has the ear of a weak rulerjust change the languages, and you have a possible match. Of course, the reports of Rasputins sexual escapades may be a bridge too far for Easterby connections (no, we really, really dont want to know what Easterby is doing behind closed doors). Still, with the decline of the once powerful Texans, with their resources and Deshaun Watson, you could think that it is a parallel to what happened when Rasputin came into the Russian court and sank the Tsarist regime.

Jafar:

The Grand Vizier Jafar is a man who is playing a relatively weak king (sound familiar?) as he attempts to fulfill his own dreams of power. He is arrogant, but plays the game of subservience to the king as means to an end. His mastery of dark magic helps him to maintain power, and if not for the actions of a quick-witted street urchin, Jafar might have overthrown the king and been in power himself.

Yet I would think that Easterby might be offended by the comparisons between himself and Jafar. After all, Jafar is not exactly a Christian, and that might be a bit out of the Easterby mold. Also, I have not seen any sort of snake-headed staff from Easterby; if he did have it, it might explain some of the moves the Texans have made since he entered NRG ParkI mean, why would you offer Eric Murray the contract you did if BOB and Cal were not dazzled by a snake-headed staff?

Final Totally Not Fake News Ranking:

There is potential for the Easterby/Jafar comparisons, but while Easterby is out for power, he is not out for absolute power a la Jafar. Also, I cant see Easterby falling for the trick that would have him trapped in a lamp for eternity. Perhaps fired, but not trapped.

There you have it, the best candidates for comparisons for Easterby. While the editorial staff at Totally Not Fake News holds that Easterby is most like Richilieu, we do not want to suffocate the will of the masses. Therefore, we shall engage in our own polling to best determine, from this day forward, who is the best comparison to Jack Easterby. We will report back with results once we tally the votes.

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Totally Not Fake News: The Burning Question of Our Time - Battle Red Blog

Wayne Christian, one of three Texas Railroad Commissioners, seems to have just about had it with the French. And the Russians. And the Iranians. The sensationalist, fake news media and environmental extremists are off his Christmas list, too. He also has precious little time for the whole Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, investing thing or, as he puts it, the new woke way to save money.

His latest missiveAn Assault from All Fronts on Energy Independence wasnt published in all-caps;but it reads like the original draft was hammered out with the caps-lock on.

A little backstory: Texas has a problem with flaring and venting of natural gas,whereby unwanted gas (mainly from oil wells) is burned off or just released into the air. As shale oil production boomed in the Permian basin, so didflaring and venting; in recent years, more Texan gas has gone up into the heavens than been used in the stateshomes.

GAS: Why natural gas demand fell only slightly despite pandemic

Since natural gas releases carbonwhen burned and methane is a potent greenhouse gas on its own, these both exacerbate climate change. Last February, the commission felt compelled to issue a study defending its practice of handing out flaring permits with abandon. In November, it gave some ground and voted to update the application process; from April, producers will have to file more documentation justifying their need to flare gas.

This fell short of what environmentalists, several large fund managers and even some oil majors wanted. The French are also non-plussed, apparently. Engie SA, a French utility, broke off negotiations for a U.S. liquefied natural gas contract, reportedly under pressure from a French government which owns 24% of the company concerned about fracking and methane emissions.

This was, it seems, the final straw:

"France is going to have to get their natural gas from somewhere, and wherever it is its going to cause more harm to the environment and geopolitics. France may get its natural gas from Iran, which has dangerous nuclear ambitions and has threatened to blow up Israel several times. Or they could turn to Russia who has dangerous ambitions and invaded Crimea just a couple years ago. Or they could look to the Middle East, a region not exactly well known for its respect of Western legal traditions."

The phrase a lot to unpack theredoesnt do this paragraph quite the justice it deserves. The main point, though, is that Christian is dissing the French for not taking U.S. gas because that means getting it from a pack of deplorablesinstead.

While the language is a little more free-wheeling, Christians release is a natural successor to last Februarys report.Thatwas an exercise in whataboutism, spinning Texas gas flaring as not that bad if you focused on gas-per-barrel rather than absolute amounts and then compared that metric to tough benchmarks like Iraq andIran.Using flaring intensity elides the fact that climate change results fromthe absolute quantity of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

FLARING: RRC extends regulatory exemptions for oil companies over environmental groups' objections

Christian restates the intensity argument in a different way, writingless than a half percent of the gas produced in Texas was flared or vented, according to an announcement made last August. That announcementspecified that figure applied to the month of May 2020 which was an interesting month.

While Christianoverstates his case by choosing the period when the Saudi-Russian price war and Covid-19 sent the oil business into freefall, flaring is less intense than it was. Artem Abramov, who heads shale research at Rystad Energy, says the collapse in activity accelerated an existing decline in flaring. He estimates 1.6% of Permian gas was flared in the fourth quarter of 2020 triple Christians state-wide figure for May but waydown from the 4-5% level seen in late 2018 and much of 2019.

Yet there is no room for complacency. It remains to be seen how much flaring and venting comes back as fracking recovers; drilling and completion activityin the Permian and Eagle Ford basins in November wasstill 65-70% below the level of a year before.

In a striking presentation given last summer, Kayrros SAS, a French data analytics firm that tracks venting and flaring using satellite imagery, compared methane emissions for different gas producing regions around the world (viewthe webinar here). It found the methane intensity emissions per quantity of fuel for liquefied natural gas from the Permian basin to be far higher than for Russia. Meanwhile, in an analysis published last month, the Boston Consulting Group concluded U.S. LNG has the highest greenhouse-gas intensity of any major exporter, well above major competitors Russia and Qatar. That doesnt just relate to flaring and venting but also, for example, leaks from valves and other equipment.

Christian is right that Russian gascomes with strings attached (see this). On the other hand, the very name of President Donald Trumps energy dominance policy isnt exactly subtle about its intent. Speaking of an era of great power rivalry, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo boasted in 2019 that the U.S. isnt just exporting energy, but our commercial value system. Freedom molecules dont come for free, as it were. I dont know if you know many French people, but that sort of thing tends to rub them the wrong way (a bit like Texans in that regard). And it need hardly be mentioned that Trumps diplomatic relations with Europethese past few years have lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.

The point is, Texasmust earn its place in a competitive global market, not simply demand everyone get with the program. On this front, Christians dismissal of climate change concerns doesnt bode well. He centers his criticism on the Paris Agreement, repeating a tired (and debunked) talking point from the Trump Administration about its minimal impact on global temperature. Christian alsotouts U.S. gas as affordable. Butsuch apparent affordability is partly becauseits emissions gounpriced and at least some buyers now factor that in.

FUEL FIX:Now more than ever, you need our energy news in your inbox

While Christian may think climate action likethe Paris Agreement is misguided, a large and growing proportion of the rest of the U.S. and the world do not share that opinion. That includes banks wary of lending to projects with high emissions and authorities like the EU proposing carbon border-adjustment mechanisms (a tariffon foreign pollution, essentially).

Yes, shale gas helped to cut U.S. carbon emissions by displacing coal-fired power (although methane leaks associated with fracking undo at least some of the benefit). But that doesnt mean gas is assured of its place from here as emissions standards tighten and competing renewable energy technologies are deployed at different rates around the world. Even the International Energy Agency, whichlong championed gas as a so-called bridge fuel for energy transition, now projects demand to decline in the late 2020s under its sustainable development scenario(1).

BCG estimates that, even under a more bullish outlook, much of the incremental LNG export capacity needed by 2030 could be met by lower-cost projects in Qatar, Russia and Mozambique, leaving little room for the long list of proposed U.S. export terminals. That freedom gas will have to work hard to find buyers.

The swipe at ESG investing is similarly like kicking backthe tide. Capital markets are, as so often, anticipating the technological, economic and political shifts provoked by climate change. Does ESG suffer from bubbly hype and attract hucksters? Of course it does. But you could say exactly the same thing about the shale boom of the past decadethat Christian feels compelled to defend. He cites a May 2019 reportfrom right-wing think tank the Pacific Research Institute claiming the S&P 500 outperformed a basket of ESG investments by 44% over a decade. At leastthe ESG baskets returns were positive. If radical environmentalists are coming for your retirement account, as Christian puts it, maybe you best hope they got there before the shale guys did:

Yes, the collapse in oil prices touched off the frackers fall. That was just the spark, though; the bigger problem was a culture of excessive spending in thepursuit of growth rather than profits (see this, this, this and this). Never mind the E and the S, the G was sorely lacking. In this, the industry was enabled by enthusiastic investors and lenders (until recently). But the Texas Railroad Commissions willingness to hand out flaring permits by the thousands every year helped, too, effectively offloadingthe cost of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions to the general public.

Superficially, that helps the industry the commission is tasked with regulating. But the reality is that it encouraged the impulses that destroyed the frackers balance sheets and their relationship with investors. Above all, if U.S. gas is to be truly competitive in a world where supplies are plentiful but tolerance for emissions is dwindling, the industrymust ditchdrill-baby-drill. When buyers (and investors) have options, they make demands. Characterizingthat as an assault may be good for venting, but not much else.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journal's Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times' Lex column. He was also an investment banker.

2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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