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There are two things you can trust in a news event with a global echo: false and misleading information about what is happening immediately appears on social media, and American journalist Jane Lytvynenko tweets something like this: “If you see false reports, then let me know. “Lytvynenko works for the American news portal” BuzzFeed News “and specializes in disinformation.
When Lytvynenko reposted his tweet shortly after the news about Donald Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis, users were quick to send him viral fake reports. The journalist investigated the reports and posts the results continuously on Twitter and in an article on the “BuzzFeed News” website.
One of the particularly pervasive misinformation he reports is a tweet saying that the coronavirus is now much weaker than it was months ago. Therefore, Trump’s corona infection will be milder than Boris Johnson’s, said a doctor who has already appeared on Fox News.
At the time, there was no reliable medical information for this remote diagnosis, which was already made on Friday. The claim that the coronavirus is weaker now than it was months ago is simply incorrect.
Lytvynenko also reports on something of a classic of fakes on social media: on Friday the claim that the television cartoon series “The Simpsons” had predicted the death of Donald Trump in the White House in one of the its episodes. A colleague of Lytvynenko had already refuted the misinformation in 2017.
Time and again, the journalist’s investigation shows how false reports are shared 10,000 times; subsequent fact-checks, on the other hand, are disseminated much less frequently. Even social networks like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube only give information about the wrong posts in some cases.
Viral fake reports are problematic for a number of reasons: They ensure that users are less informed, and they foster public opinion. Above all, however, they lead to a climate in which even baseless speculation suddenly seems plausible, such as the claim that Trump knowingly infected himself in the course of an election campaign maneuver. A climate in which Trump himself is not innocent.
A misleading video clip of Joe Biden coughing, which was supposed to suggest he was infected with the corona virus shortly before Trump, was shared thousands of times. The Democratic presidential candidate tested negative for Covid-19.
The short video shows how easy it is to turn short clips on the Internet into false information: First, the video is cut in such a way that Biden’s throat and cough are joined by a long speech. Second, the original video of the speech is several days older than the misleading tweet claimed. However, the comments below the video show that many users are more than happy to believe the suggested message that Biden could be infected and perhaps even infected Trump himself.
The good news: The example also shows that you can often check with just a few clicks if a social media post is correct. Check if the distribution account seems reliable, if the information is also confirmed in other sources, and if you can find original sources such as Biden’s original speech.
Do I command planes that only take off in the event of war?
Information that the so-called Doomsday Plans went up on Friday shortly before the news of Trump’s Covid 19 diagnosis also caused a stir on Facebook and Twitter. The planes are mobile command posts with which the US government is supposed to act in a crisis, for example due to an atomic bomb attack.
In fact, one of Boeing’s specialty jets was in the air off the east coast of the United States on Friday night (local time), another off the west coast. However, these are routine flights that have been planned in advance. the confirmed press officer Karen Singer.
The viral tweet that falsely linked the flights to Trump’s corona infection has now been shared nearly 15,000 times. To this day, Twitter does not display a fact check.
Strange Digital World: Quietly Say Goodbye “Turn Off”
An episode of Patrick Beuth
I recently bought a new noise-canceling headphones as a gift and am very pleased with the details. There is only one function that I do not understand: I take off the headphones and fold them, turn them off, the voice output announces it with an “Off”, which of course can hardly be heard because the headphones, as mentioned, have already been disassembled and folded. So what is the point of this ad?
If I set the German speech output, of course, it doesn’t say “Turn off”, but “Turn off”. The voice is then different, and somehow the headphone manufacturers seem to have quietly agreed that the German voice should not sound too pleasant. With the current top device from a large Japanese manufacturer, it sounds like a prison guard, with the headphones of my choice at least latently annoying. That is why I prefer to stick with the English version. Every ad from “On” to “Phone Connected” sounds so euphoric, like it just pulled off an outstanding performance. You are happy with every compliment, especially as a journalist.
External links: three tips from other media
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“The Dirty Tricks of World Politics” (8 minute read): There was misinformation long before the age of social media. This is shown in the fascinating book by political scientist Thomas Rid, which depicts a “secret history of disinformation and political warfare” stretching back many decades. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” presents the book.
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“Russian hackers likely penetrated a US federal agency” (5 min read, in English): “Wired” reports a new piece of malware with which a US government agency was attacked by hackers, and on the trails pointing to Russia.
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“Why Spotify Has So Many Generic, Weird Artists Like ‘White Noise Baby Sleep'” (8 minute read): Streaming platforms like Spotify are important for emerging artists to raise awareness. This has also led to the emergence of absurd band names like “Jazz Music Therapy for Cats” or “Natural White Noise Best”, which are obviously only claiming to appear particularly high in Spotify search results.
I wish you a healthy week!
Max hoppenstedt
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