Fact Finders Pro’s Post

Read our latest piece of #thoughtleadership, Deciphering Misinformation: What it is and what we can do about it 🔗 https://lnkd.in/exrEvv-j In our latest piece of thought leadership, we delve into the pervasive issue of #misinformation and #disinformation, and explore how false information can fuel polarisation, erode trust in institutions, and compromise the fabric of democratic society. We also look at the mechanisms through which misinformation spreads, particularly in the digital realm, the #psychological factors that render individuals potentially susceptible to misleading narratives, and the types of interventions that might help build resilience against it. To learn about how The Misinformation Cell can protect your organisation from misinformation, email contact@lynn.global.

In a world saturated with information, the importance of truth cannot be overstated. As we celebrate Zero Disinformation Day, it's a timely reminder of the critical role accurate information plays in shaping our understanding of the world. Zero Disinformation Day serves as a call to action, urging individuals and organizations alike to embrace transparency, fact-checking, and responsible sharing. In an era where misinformation spreads like wildfire, the need for a collective commitment to truth has never been more apparent. On this day, let's reflect on the impact of disinformation on societies, elections, and public health. It's an opportunity to reinforce the value of credible sources, critical thinking, and media literacy. As we navigate the vast digital landscape, let's be vigilant in discerning fact from fiction. Whether it's addressing conspiracy theories, combating fake news, or promoting digital hygiene, each of us has a role to play. Zero Disinformation Day encourages us to be responsible digital citizens, fostering an environment where accurate information can flourish. In the spirit of this day, let's pledge to share information responsibly, verify before spreading, and champion the truth. Together, we can create a more informed and resilient society, safeguarding the integrity of information for generations to come. #ZeroDisinformationDay #TruthMatters #MediaLiteracy

Can you tell what’s real and what isn’t? It’s comfortable to imagine the answer is yes, but how sure can you ever really be? It’s scary and upsetting to think that what we believe to be true could in fact just be stories. When it comes to elections, the right to vote, and our political freedoms, fake news is not just frightening. It can be dangerous. Disinformation has always been a problem in US elections (a phenomenon not limited to the US, of course). As long as there are humans, knowledge and information will always be a powerful weapon as well as a beautiful gift. As tempting as it is to imagine this problem is only getting worse; let’s contend (for discussion’s sake) that the ability to use information to misinform, sway, and manipulate others is (and has been) rather constant. Way back in US history, compared to now, there are HUGE differences in: • how we get our information, • availability (or lack) of information, and • the quality/quantity of (mis)information. Lies presented as truth probably cause more psychological damage to modern humans, due to the sheer volume of harmful information we’re exposed to on a daily basis. But, taking a step back to look at the overall effect on politics and society as a whole, one might conclude that the relative impact of misinformation is unchanged over time. The harm is constant. Fake news is responsible for US involvement in at least one war (many would say two, for sure) before everyone had a smartphone. Suppressing literacy has been a common tactic throughout human history to control the population. But now, despite all of our access to information, increased literacy rates, and the speed at which the masses can access “knowledge,” are we any closer to being able to discern fact from fiction? Are we any farther away? Are the stakes higher now than they were in 1898? 1941? 1982? Years ago when presidential candidates declared each other deceased (falsely) in newspapers they owned, it took weeks for people to catch on. Now it takes hours, sometimes even days, for fake news to spread and fizzle out. But is it any MORE or LESS harmful and dangerous? What do you think? And why? We want to hear your opinion!! There are no wrong answers here - discussion and dissent is ALWAYS WELCOME at Brinkle Group.

This could be an interesting discussion. What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you post embarrassing pictures of your child? What are embarrassing pictures? Do “we” consider them as cute? Don’t we all take a tremendous amount of our childrens photos. 1st crawl. 1st steps. 1st words. Smiles. Chuckles. Laughs. The list can go on and on. Like many things, too much of a good thing, becomes bad. The question then is, where can the line be drawn? And even there is an “agreed” line, people will still cross over it, just like many instances we see today. When does “fun” becomes addictive? There have been many videos on how the current generation’s “addiction” for fast gratification (https://lnkd.in/eeWXEZZH)

👀 "Sharenting" has the potential to fuel 2/3 of identity fraud by 2030. Other than encouraging parents to reflect before they post, what role do kids' brands have in empowering families to safeguard childhood? 💫 We think that it comes down to these three actions: 1. Collaborating with child safety organizations and experts to develop guidelines and tools for online safety 2. Leveraging their brand platforms to raise awareness about the importance of digital privacy and safety for kids through campaigns, events, and partnerships 3. Investing in and promoting technology solutions that prioritize kids' online safety like parental control features and privacy settings 🧡 What else do you think could be added to the list? #Sharenting #SocialMedia #DigitalWellbeing #Kids

European Parliament Think Tank (EPTT)--At a Glance Fact-checking compass: How to spot information manipulation [9 July 2024] https://lnkd.in/gD44AyAa or https://lnkd.in/grJAzC-E   Misleading information can throw any of us off course. Both misinformation – mistakes without ill intent – and disinformation – created and spread with the aim of fooling people – can make it hard to take informed decisions. Fast evolving technologies – including deepfake video and audio – make it too easy to produce and spread deceptive content very rapidly. Many of us worry about the effect: some 85 % of people worldwide are concerned about the impact of disinformation on their fellow citizens; 87 % think disinformation has already affected political life in their country; and 38 % of EU citizens list false and/or misleading information as a threat to democracy. These tips will help you steer around falsehoods.

https://lnkd.in/g5BBt6VG Think Before You Share! 🌐 Stop spreading unverified information. Fake news travels faster than the truth. Always rely on trusted sources! #VerifyBeforeSharing #StopFakeNews #FakeNewsAlert #FightMisinformation #BeACriticalThinker #ShareFacts #StopMisinformation #CombatFakeNews

With the growing challenge of terrorist and violent content, and the exploitation of children online, there is an urgent need for more deliberate global coordination to improve digital safety. #onlinefraud #digitalsecurity #safety #crime #violence

#OSINT and #disinformation journalism has developed rapidly in the last few years but there are still big gaps in analytical and technical skills. One manifestation of this is the readiness with which "disinformation" is attributed to foreign state activity with little or no evidence. Social media platforms are then blamed for not responding but the reality is that these claims about hostile state info ops need more proof than researchers frequently offer. We've seen this in the UK in both the recent election and the Southport riots. 👇 "This over-vigilance and reductive thinking extended to responses to the UK riots. Mainly poorly researched articles claiming—without nearly enough evidence—that disinformation about the Southport attacker’s ethnicity was part of a Russian-linked IO. More holistic research that contradicted these claims came shortly after, which showed that better research is possible, but that there is nothing forcing journalists to do so. The lack of a consensus in public reporting about standards of attribution, methodology, and evidence when writing about digital harms, means that the quality of reporting on digital threats is going to vary hugely. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem if the quality of public media wasn’t such an important pillar of wider societal digital resilience and threat awareness."

📱 Should we approach digital harms as a holistic issue of information resiliency? In our latest on the blog, we consider this question in the context of the UK political landscape. #digitalresilience #disinformation #mediaethics #digitalthreats https://lnkd.in/efVZV-73