insert_link World Chinese and Russian disinformation flourishes in some African countries – anti-US sentiment helps it take hold By Dani Madrid-Morales, University of Sheffield; Herman Wasserman, Stellenbosch University, and Saifuddin Ahmed, Nanyang Technological University The spread of disinformation is one of the biggest risks to societies. Recent examples have been conspiracy narratives about COVID-19 vaccinations and false claims about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The trend is linked partly to competition among world powers, which is being played out in Africa too. Across the continent, multiple foreign […] todaySeptember 5, 2024 16
insert_link Opinion Pieces Social media: Disinformation expert offers 3 safety tips in a time of fake news and dodgy influencers Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images/LightRocke By Fabrice Lollia, Université Gustave Eiffel Social networks have revolutionised the way we communicate, stay informed and share moments of our daily lives. We use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to keep in touch with our friends and family, share our experiences, keep informed, and express our opinions. But beyond these personal and often superficial uses, social networks play a much more complex […] todayAugust 9, 2024 13
insert_link Lifestyle Readers trust journalists less when they debunk rather than confirm claims Seeing a lie or error corrected can make some people more skeptical of the fact-checker. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images By Randy Stein, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Caroline Meyersohn, California State University, Long Beach Pointing out that someone else is wrong is a part of life. And journalists need to do this all the time – their job includes helping sort what’s true from what’s not. […] todayAugust 7, 2024 9
insert_link South Africa Meta develops tailored approach to safeguard the integrity of the South African elections Tech giant Meta is deploying a tailored approach to safeguard the integrity of South Africa's elections, creating an Election Resource Centre on its website. Reuters reports that the initiative includes fact-checking partnerships with Africa Check and AFP, training for government communicators, and collaboration with the Electoral Commission ahead of the South African elections on 29 May 2024. todayMay 16, 2024 35
