GN Bureau | September 21, 2017
Social media giant Facebook has offered “tips for spotting false news” as part of its campaign to combat spread of misinformation.
In a full-page advertisement in sections of print media, Facebook offered the tips, along with the tagline: “Together, we can limit the spread of false news.”
In recent years, especially after the last year’s US elections and Brexit referendum, cyberspace – independence website, blogs and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter – have been awash with mischievous posting masquerading as news and tilting public opinion at will. The mainstream media too have often fallen prey and given authenticity to false news.
This trend is so powerful that it is now seen as shaping global political equations. ‘Post-truth’, in a sense – fake news, became the word of the year in 2016.
READ MORE from our cover story on post-truth last year:
More lies ahead
And Truth Shall Have No Dominion
Facebook too has courted controversy over alleged bias in its news streaming during the US elections. Against this background, the FB print advertisement campaign is a significant development.
Its ten tips for spotting false news are:
1. Be sceptical of headlines.
2. Look closely at the URL.
3. Investigate the source.
4. Watch for unusual formatting.
5. Consider the photos.
6. Inspect the dates.
7. Check the evidence.
8. Look at other reports.
9. Is the story a joke?
10. Some stories are intentionally false.
Last summer, the two of us spent several weeks in rural Madhya Pradesh with a non-profit that works on gender justice through women’s self-help groups. We went in with a notebook full of laws. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. The Dowry Prohibition Act. Free legal aid for every wo
Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu
The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour
Tavleen Singh, noted journalist and political commentator, has turned to fiction, with her debut novel ‘The Actor’ (HaperCollins India). Set in the near future, it has a superstar, Amit Singh, turning to politics, when the political landscape is dominated by prime minister Guru Gaynendraj
The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of Transp
