insert_link South Africa Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has cautioned the media and the public against the spread of fake news Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has cautioned the media and the public against the spread of fake news, including playing politics in the wake of the five-story George building collapse. He emphasised the need to focus on the rescue efforts, with 47 people still trapped under the rubble and six confirmed dead. Winde condemns the reports of misinformation, including false claims about the number of casualties: todayMay 8, 2024 37
insert_link Lifestyle Disinformation is often blamed for swaying elections – the research says something else Alexandru Nika/Shutterstock Magda Osman, Cambridge Judge Business School Many countries face general elections this year. Political campaigning will include misleading and even false information. Just days ago, it was reported that a robocall impersonating US president Joe Biden had told recipients not to vote in the presidential primary. But can disinformation significantly influence voting? There are two typical styles of election campaigning. One is positive, presenting favourable attributes of politicians […] todayJanuary 29, 2024 11
insert_link Lifestyle Move away from Google if you want to avoid fake news By F.D. Flam via BizNews Searching for information has become instant and effortless — just go to your nearest device, ask Siri or click a few keys. But are we better informed than we were before Google became a verb? A new paper published in Nature hints that we’re not. When researchers exposed volunteers to a mix of fake and real news stories, they found people became more prone to being fooled by […] todayJanuary 15, 2024 10
insert_link Opinion Pieces Social media content in times of war: an expert guide on how to keep violence off your feeds There are some practical ways to filter the amount of violent and graphic content you see on social media. Megan Knight, University of Hertfordshire Social media platforms are a great source of information and entertainment. They also help us to maintain contact with friends and family. But social media can also – and has, often – become a toxic environment for spreading disinformation, hatred and conflict. Most people can’t or […] todayNovember 3, 2023 5
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
