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Oct 25, 2019 8 tweets 4 min read Read on X
Can you bee-lieve it’s the last day of #MediaLitWk? We’re closing out the week with a twitter thread fact-check. Big shout out to @ohbikepilot for alerting us to this claim by using #isthislegit. Let’s get started! Image
First thing’s first. Who is behind the information? It’s hard to say who’s behind the Physics and Astronomy Zone account. We went straight to the site - NO byline & NO helpful info on the site 🚩🚩🚩.
The article hyperlinked just one source...a Spanish site🤔. We translated the article and learned — it was @earthwatch_org who declared the bee as the most important species on the Earth.
We then typed “bee most important living being” into a Google #keywordsearch. We got a lot of results and decided to focus on an article from @guardian, which said that the Earthwatch Institute made this declaration 11 years ago during its annual debate.
At the debate, five scientists argued which species was the most important, and the AUDIENCE voted. theguardian.com/environment/bl…
We did another #keywordsearch of “Earthwatch debate.” From this website, it looks like there was a 2019 event. The topic of discussion wasn’t endangered species, but rather if veganism can save the planet. That event was back in March. oxfordliteraryfestival.org/literature-eve…
Overall, the post NEEDS CONTEXT. While the bee was voted the most important species during an Earthwatch debate, it was determined by AN AUDIENCE VOTE. Sites reporting on this are 11 years late to the party.
Share the fact-check with a friend and let us know if they think the bee is the most invaluable species too!

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More from @mediawise

Nov 8, 2022
🧵of tips to help you at the ballot box and scrolling social media today – specifically for those who are new to or nervous about voting. First of all, get excited! It’s every voter’s civic duty to participate in democracy. Take a deep breath. You got this! 💪 #ElectionDay
Want more info? vote411.org/select-state has state-specific details for voting, along with instructions on how to get a free ride to the polls from @lyft.
Tap into your local news outlets today. You’ll find specific information on voting rules, polling locations and everything else you need to know. Example, @TB_Times walks readers through voting in #TampaBay: tampabay.com/news/florida-p…
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Feb 24, 2022
This morning, trusted news outlets confirmed that Russia attacked Ukraine. During any global crisis, you’ll see visceral images and videos on social media claiming to show bombing, tanks — military action. Now more than ever, you need to stop and ask @SHEG_Stanford’s 3 Q’s:
First, when you see a post like this one, ask yourself: Who shared it? Are they an expert? Are they biased toward one side of the conflict?
Go to their profile. Use quotes to search for exact matches for their name: “@WorldNewsWWIII”. The profile isn’t verified, and while it claims to be a news source — it’s been around for a month. DON’T SHARE.
Read 8 tweets
Feb 23, 2022
The queen, my lord, is… not dead. Yesterday Twitter was abuzz after #HollywoodUnlocked published an “exclusive” claiming Queen Elizabeth II died. Good news: Several reputable news sources denied the claim. Bad news: This isn’t the last time we’ll see a celebrity death hoax🧵
We’re @MediaWise, and we teach people all over the world how to be smarter consumers of news and information online. Long story short, we know a thing or two about how to make sure the info you’re reading online is legit.
We figured now’s a good time to chat about how to assess breaking news about celebrity deaths responsibly. When you see a claim that someone famous/important/popular has died, WAIT IT OUT. These stories are enticing, but facts can often be distorted or left out.
Read 9 tweets
Feb 22, 2022
The Knight Media Forum just started and ✌️ of our very own MediaWise ambassadors will be panelists today 👀 @JulioVaqueiro will be on a panel talking about misinfo in communities of color and @davejorgenson will be on another sharing his expertise on reaching the youth.
.@JulioVaqueiro became an ambassador this year as part of our efforts to help Spanish speakers confidently navigate their social media feeds. In a 10-day text message course, he and @jdbalart share key digital media literacy tips. poy.nu/verifica
.@davejorgenson has been with us for a couple of years now helping us connect with teens and college students. Here's a throwback to a TikTok we worked on together: tiktok.com/@mediawise/vid…
Read 4 tweets
Jan 6, 2021
Right now you’re probably seeing hundreds of photos and videos from the chaotic scene on #CapitolHill at the #CapitolBuilding. Or are you?
When protestors began streaming into D.C. yesterday, an unverified Twitter account with less than 1,000 followers shared a photo claiming to show the action that racked up more than 14,000 RTs. It’s false. Image
It was ACTUALLY an image from the 2018 #MarchForOurLives protest. Using out-of-context pics is one way bad actors push disinformation out to thousands of social feeds during breaking news events. You could have figured that out right away with a reverse image search. Image
Read 8 tweets
Jan 6, 2021
Social media is hitting a fever pitch about the lockdown at the #CapitolBuilding. Please STOP before you click retweet or re-share anything you see on this subject and ask yourself these 3 key questions to fact-check it and prevent yourself from sharing misinformation... (THREAD)
1. WHO IS BEHIND THE INFORMATION? Click on their bio. Are they an expert on the subject // verified? Why should you trust what they say? Any indications they have an agenda? Any bot-like activity on their account? If you have an extra sec, Google them. Any red flags?
2. WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE? What in their post proves to you what they are claiming is accurate? Be skeptical. Do they provide context? Social media rewards short form posts, if you don't have enough info in the post to answer this question, go on to question 3...
Read 6 tweets

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