Tag Archives: Fake news

BBC Radio WM interview on social media and’fake news’ during Ukrainian conflict   

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Yesterday I was interviewed by Elise Evans on BBC Radio WM Breakfast about social media and ‘fake news’ during the Ukrainian conflict. This was in response to a report that footage from a disaster movie filmed in Birmingham had been used on social media to suggest the war was a hoax.

We discussed what online platforms are doing to deal with ‘fake news’ and how we can identify false images and videos circulating online.

Thanks to Elise, Louise, Megan and the BBC Radio WM team for the interview.

It can be accessed here

BBC Radio Derby interview on social media and ‘fake news’

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Image: Facebook/Mirror

Yesterday I was interviewed by Andy Twigge on Breakfast on BBC Radio Derby about social media and ‘fake news’. This was in response to a photoshopped image of a road sign in Burton which had circulated on Facebook, before being reported in national media outlets like the Daily Mail and the Mirror. We discussed the reasons why people share ‘fake news’, how we should respond to this, and whether we need a ‘cooling off’ period before posting content online.

Thanks to Andy, Jonathan and the BBC Radio Derby team for the interview. It can be accessed here

Essay on role of online disinformation in Capitol Building invasion

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I have an essay in Human:Putting the Social into Science on the role of online disinformation and US President Donald Trump in the violent scenes at the US Capitol Building last week. I argue that the pro-Trump mob are a manifestation of an information crisis fed by Trump, which has created an alternative reality in which the unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud are believed to be true. I argue that political leaders should be wary of legitimising ‘fake news’ given that they may undermine trust in the institutions they purport to represent. Thanks to Laura Lightfinch and Victoria Wood for their help with this. The piece can be read here

BBC Radio Sheffield interview on misinformation

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This morning I was interviewed by Toby Foster on BBC Radio Sheffield about the misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 circulating on social media. We talked about how we as citizens should respond to false and misleading information online and how governments and social media companies might take stronger action to address it.

Many thanks to Toby, Katie and Robert at BBC Radio Sheffield for their help with this- enjoyed it!

The interview can be listened to here

Essay in Democratic Audit on how people respond to coronavirus ‘fake news’

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I have had another op-ed published by Democratic Audit UK  on the coronavirus crisis. I discuss the early findings from research conducted by Pew Research Center and Ofcom investigating how people respond to misinformation and disinformation about the virus shared on social media. Despite some signs people are factchecking using official sources, I argue that we must not be complacent in our efforts to counter false information about the pandemic. Thanks to Alice Park for her help publishing this piece. It can be accessed here

Op-ed on local journalism in Sheffield Telegraph

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I have had an op-ed in the Sheffield Telegraph today. I argue that local journalism is playing a key role in providing support for communities during the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to Victoria Wood and the staff at the Telegraph for the opportunity. The piece can be found here

Democratic Audit post on coronavirus ‘fake news’

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I have written a post for Democratic Audit on the spread of coronavirus ‘fake news’ over the past few months. I discuss how false stories about COVID-19 ‘cures’ can have deadly consequences, as seen in Iran where hundreds of people died after drinking methanol in the mistaken belief it would protect them from the virus. While conspiracy theories about the virus being a ‘biological weapon’ have emerged online, their impact should not be exaggerated. Instead, we should focus on the misinformation spread by political leaders such as Donald Trump, which is more likely to have an impact on the behaviour of citizens.

Thanks to Alice Park and the fantastic DA team for their help in publishing this. The post can be found here

Interview on BBC Radio Sheffield about ‘fake news’ and social media

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Yesterday I was interviewed by Toby Foster on BBC Radio Sheffield about the ‘fake news’ circulating online about coronavirus. We spoke about some of the ways people can identify false information on social media and the role of politicians in spreading misinformation about the virus. Thanks to Toby, Kat, Katie from BBC Radio Sheffield and Victoria Wood for making it happen.

You can listen back to the interview here (beginning at 3:10:38)

Interviewed for Newsweek article on social media and ‘fake news’

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I was recently interviewed for an article in Newsweek that discussed recent research suggesting that people who held delusional views were more likely to believe false news stories shared on social media. Thanks to Kashmira Gander and Hannah Postles for their help with this.

The article can be accessed here