Getting closer to fake news!

The activity “Getting closer to fake news!” aims to introduce the concept and the mechanisms of disinformation used in audiovisual media. The objective is to provide students with tools to detect and react to fake news and to promote meaningful media and information literacy through the use of a card game designed for that purpose

What is disinformation?

Disinformation is false or misleading information that someone creates and spreads with the intention of manipulating or deceiving others. It is not a simple mistake or confusion; it is created intentionally to influence what we think, cause confusion, set different groups against each other, discredit opinions, or even mock someone.

It is used in different contexts, such as in politics to manipulate opinions; in science, to create fear about topics like vaccines or climate change; and in everyday life, to deceive, scam, or cause chaos.

The consequences of disinformation can be very serious. It leads us to make bad decisions, such as trusting false remedies, supporting unfounded ideas, or rejecting real and useful information. It also destroys trust in the media, the government, experts, and even our own friends and family, which makes us more vulnerable to further lies.

It not only affects people individually, but also divides society, generates conflict, and weakens democracy. If people believe false information, laws, the election of political representatives, and important decisions can be based on lies instead of real facts. When this happens, society becomes more fragile and easier to manipulate.

How does it work?

Creators of disinformation know very well how to make their lies seem credible and grab our attention. To achieve this, they use different strategies such as clickbait (sensational, exaggerated headlines designed to make you click without thinking), fake images and videos (which may be edited or created with artificial intelligence to look real), and memes and jokes (sometimes fake news is disguised as humour so it goes viral quickly).

One of the most used tricks by disinformation creators is to play on our emotions. They want us to feel anger, fear, or surprise so that we react without thinking. When a news item or piece of information has a strong emotional impact on us, we tend to share it without checking whether it is true. That is how lies spread very quickly on social media.

Social media are the perfect terrain for disinformation to spread rapidly. Because we see information in small doses and in a short time, we do not always have the opportunity to verify whether what we read is true or not.

How to avoid falling into the trap?

Here are some strategies to protect yourself from disinformation and avoid being manipulated:

• Don’t believe everything you see or read. Before sharing, ask yourself: Who published it? Does it make sense? Could it be false? If the answer to any of these questions is not clear, it’s best to investigate before sharing.

• Don’t believe something just because a famous person says it. The truth of a news item, informative piece, or speech does not depend on who says it, but on whether there is real evidence to support it.

• Differentiate between fiction and reality. Sometimes stories are designed to deceive. Ask yourself: Does it make sense? Is there real evidence or is it based only on opinions?

• Check the sources. If a news item seems too shocking, look for it in other reliable sources to see if it is true. If it only appears on dubious websites or on social media, it may not be true. Some warning signs of fake news are:

✓ They do not cite verifiable sources.

✓ They contain grammatical or editorial errors.

✓ They use alarmist or extremist language.

• Don’t be driven by emotions. If something makes you angry or too surprised, take a moment before reacting. Disinformation uses our emotions to its advantage.

• Don’t be a compulsive consumer. Much disinformation aims to make you buy things you don’t need, making you believe it’s an essential product or that you’re missing a unique opportunity.

• Learn to detect fallacies and biases. There are tricks that make an argument seem logical when it isn’t. If you learn to recognize these traps, you will be less manipulable and better able to detect when someone is trying to deceive you. For example:
  ✓ “This is true because a famous person said it” (appeal to authority).
  ✓ “If many people believe it, it must be true” (bandwagon fallacy).
  ✓ “This news suits me, so I accept it without questioning it” (confirmation bias).

• Seek expert opinion. If a topic is complicated, consult what scientists, specialised journalists, or experienced professionals say. Some reliable sources include:

✓ Recognised news organisations.

✓ Scientific and academic institutions.

✓ Official reports from governments or international institutions.

• Talk with others — don’t isolate yourself. Sharing opinions with others helps detect false information and gives you a more complete view of topics. Isolation makes us more vulnerable to manipulation.

• Train your critical thinking. The best defence against disinformation is to learn, research, and question. The more knowledge you have, the less easily you will be deceived. Some ways to strengthen critical thinking are reading about different subjects, questioning information before accepting it, and not being swayed by first impressions.

• Cultivate values and practise virtues to protect yourself from disinformation. Developing habits such as honesty, responsibility, intellectual humility, empathy, and curiosity strengthens our ability to recognise and combat disinformation:
  ✓ Honesty encourages us not to spread information without verifying it.
  ✓ Responsibility makes us aware of the impact of sharing false information.
  ✓ Intellectual humility helps us acknowledge that we can be wrong and stay open to evidence.
  ✓ Empathy allows us to understand how disinformation affects others and society in general.