[Thread] Here’s an example of how misinformation can spread online, and then find its way into the traditional media… /1
On December 10th, UN member states are due to adopt the new Global Compact for Migration - a non-binding agreement which endorses the principle that governments should stop funding media that fuel racism & xenophobia. You can find the full text here: refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/… /2
Objective 17 of the #GlobalCompactforMigration is the key bit that relates to the media. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but here’s what it says: /3 
"We commit to eliminate all forms of discrimination, condemn and counter expressions, acts and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, violence, xenophobia and related intolerance against all migrants in conformity with international human rights law..." /4
"We further commit to promote an open and evidence-based public discourse on migration and migrants in partnership with all parts of society, that generates a more realistic, humane and constructive perception in this regard..." /5
"We also commit to protect freedom of expression in accordance with international law, recognizing that an open and free debate contributes to a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of migration." /6
The #GlobalCompactforMigration then lists a number of measures for tackling xenophobia: /7
These include enacting legislation penalising hate crimes, and holding hate crime perpetrators to account "in accordance with national legislation, while upholding international human rights law, in particular the right to freedom of expression" /8
Objective 17 of the #GlobalCompactforMigration also endorses the principle of "investing in ethical reporting standards and advertising"... /9
...and also "stopping allocation of public funding or material support to media outlets that systematically promote intolerance, xenophobia, racism and other forms of discrimination towards migrants, in full respect for the freedom of the media" #GlobalCompactforMigration /10
It's worth spelling out the detail of what the #GlobalCompactforMigration actually says (full text here: refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/…), because this is how the @Daily_Express has chosen to present it to their readers this weekend: express.co.uk/news/politics/… /11
The #GlobalCompactforMigration is a non-binding agreement - and repeatedly references the need to tackle racism & hate while respecting freedom of expression. Yet the Daily Express tells its readers the GCM "could see people who criticise EU migration policies jailed"... /12
The Daily Express also suggests that the #GlobalCompactforMigration "makes immigration a universal human right" /13 express.co.uk/news/politics/…
What the Express doesn't tell readers is that the #UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights adopted by the United Nations almost 70 yrs ago, already recognises that "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country" un.org/en/universal-d… /14
This weekend's story in the Daily Express about the #GlobalCompactforMigration comes after a sustained campaign by extremists pushing out messaging like this online: #GlobalCompactforMigration: twitter.com/search?f=tweet… /15
In the run-up to the #GlobalCompactforMigration adoption conference on December 10th, it’s likely that we’ll see a lot more misinformation about the agreement - both online & in the established media /16
The fact that UN texts tend to be long, detailed and (let’s be honest) a bit boring to read all the way through means it can be easy for people to get away with misrepresenting what the #GlobalCompactforMigration actually says... /17 refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/…
Some things you can do if you want to help counter the misinformation: Firstly, when you see people making dodgy claims about the #GlobalCompactforMigration, give them this link & ask which bit of the text, specifically, backs up those claims: refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/… /18
Secondly, ask if they really believe that taxpayers should be obliged to subsidise racist media outlets through the public purse /19 #GlobalCompactforMigration thedrum.com/news/2018/07/3…
Thirdly, highlight the track record of the media outlets who misrepresent the #GlobalCompactforMigration. In 2015, the Daily Express was called out by the UN in a statement condemning "decades of... anti-foreigner abuse, misinformation and distortion": ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/… /20
There have been some big changes at the Daily Express since they changed their editor and admitted that their paper had previously fuelled "Islamophobic sentiment", so it's disappointing to see them misrepresenting migration-related issues now... independent.co.uk/news/media/dai… /21
But given their history, perhaps it's unsurprising that the Daily Express would have concerns about an agreement that seeks to promote "evidence-based public discourse" on migration, & switch funding away from media outlets which fuel xenophobia... /22 thedrum.com/news/2018/07/3…
More on #StopFundingHate's engagement with the UN ahead of the creation of the #GlobalCompactforMigration stopfundinghate.info/2017/05/14/the… - with over £425 bn spent worldwide each year on advertising, this agreement could be another vital step towards making hate unprofitable for good /23
And here's another interesting thing: The video cited by the Daily Express to source its claims about the #GlobalCompactforMigration is being repeatedly circulated on Twitter. Here's an example: /24
This example also features a link to a petition on the UK Parliament website calling on the UK Government to pull out of the #GlobalCompactforMigration petition.parliament.uk/petitions/2326… - that petition currently has over 58,000 signatures... /25
But interestingly, the (user-generated) text of the petition on the UK Parliament website gives little background or context. From looking at the petition you'd have no idea that these are the kinds of messages being used to drive signatures: /26 #GlobalCompactforMigration
PS - If you've got all the way through this thread & would like to help build the fightback against hate speech and misinformation, please consider supporting our latest Crowdfunder! crowdfunder.co.uk/stop-funding-h… #GlobalCompactforMigration
