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MediaWise

6 Jan, 10 tweets, 3 min read

#CapitolHill is on lockdown. This is a breaking news situation and a VERY important time to slow down, take a breath and be diligent about how you find reliable information and get the facts on social media. (THREAD)

STEP 1: Check your emotions. This is a highly volatile situation and emotionally charged moment. It's crucial that you take a step back and make sure your emotions are not clouding your judgment as you try to figure out what is going on.

These are the moments that bad actors thrive on -- when you are not thinking straight and just click share on anything you see. This is when you really need to PAUSE. Go for a walk if you need to. This is super important.

STEP 2: If you see a post going viral, and there are a lot of them right now, before you retweet or reshare it, check out who posted it. Look at their bio. Could they have an agenda? Are they a primary source? Are they an expert? An eyewitness?

https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/1346905489561579532?s=20

Here is a photo going viral right now, shared with no evidence that the guns pictured were actually fired.

https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/1346905489561579532?s=20

If you click on the account who shared it, they later tweeted "Alright, so I can’t *swear* there were gun shots. I saw the glass blow out of the chamber’s front door, and I heard an officer say shots fired. But everything is unconfirmed at this moment." Context = King

It's unclear what was happening in that photo, the reporter should have waited to share it until he had more info. Even in these heated, breaking news moments, the press can prematurely share info on social media. That leads us to...

STEP 3: Read multiple sources. This is history in the making, you want to read what multiple news outlets are saying and watch live feeds as much as possible to get unedited, raw video from the events on the ground. And be sure to check out outlets across the political spectrum.

Some tips on getting a feel for political bias of news outlets can be found here: poynter.org/fact-checking/…

@MediaWise

See something you're not sure about? Tag @MediaWise and #isthislegit. Any questions about how to find reliable info? Ask us! DMs are open. Stay safe everyone and be careful with what you share in the coming days. More tips coming....

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MediaWise

@mediawise

6 Jan

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.

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.

Read 8 tweets

MediaWise

@mediawise

6 Jan

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

MediaWise

@mediawise

11 Nov 20

@JoeBiden

This video is misleading, and it’s a good reminder that misinformation is easy to check.

So, how could you have investigated this clip to see whether it really shows @JoeBiden admitting to voter fraud? Just google what he said.

https://twitter.com/NCGOP/status/1326162999514640385

@washingtonpost

Searching for “We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics” brought up a bunch of results, including articles from @washingtonpost, @USATODAY and @nytimes.

@nytimes

@nytimes and @USATODAY reported that Biden’s campaign said he meant to describe efforts fighting voter suppression.

@washingtonpost included more of the interview, which showed Biden accusing Trump of suppressing votes.

Read 6 tweets

MediaWise

@mediawise

9 Nov 20

@pfizer

You’ve probably heard that pharmaceutical company @pfizer has announced that early analysis of its coronavirus vaccine suggests that the vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19. nytimes.com/2020/11/09/hea…

There has already been A LOT of speculation about the timing of the announcement and #Election2020. REMEMBER: speculation without evidence is how baseless conspiracy theories are born.

@pfizer

So, let’s stick to the facts: @pfizer is not a part of Operation Warp Speed, the federal effort to develop a vaccine. Kathrin Jansen, the head of vaccine research and development, said politics does not drive how Pfizer conducts itself. @nytimes nytimes.com/2020/11/09/hea…

Read 7 tweets

MediaWise

@mediawise

2 Oct 20

@realDonaldTrump

Early this morning, @realDonaldTrump announced that he and @FLOTUS tested positive for COVID-19. Since then, there has been A LOT of speculation and reactions circulating. REMEMBER: this is a developing, breaking-news story. Here’s what to do and what NOT to do to follow it:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1311892190680014849

@WhiteHouse

Read AT LEAST 3-4 reliable sources. When possible, seek out primary sources too. This includes updates from the @WhiteHouse or the @JoeBiden campaign on contact tracing. The more sources you read, the better you’ll understand the facts and the full scope of the story.

Avoid conjecture conversations or stories about the “what ifs.” Focus on the information we have right now and updates rooted in facts as they become available. Doom scrolling through nightmare scenarios will not be beneficial to you or the people who read the content you share.

Read 9 tweets

MediaWise

@mediawise

22 Sep 20

@JimDabakis

If you didn’t fact-check this tweet from @JimDabakis, you might be a bit confused by the news that @MittRomney plans to vote on a Supreme Court nominee.

This tweet popped up hours after RBG died Friday. Did you question it using #medialiteracy?

https://twitter.com/JimDabakis/status/1307120855454044160

Sure hope ya did!

When you see someone making controversial claims -- things that make you react emotionally -- you gotta check the facts.

So how to verify this one? Look to primary sources.

@MittRomney

@MittRomney’s Twitter is a great place to start. He tweeted his condolences Friday, but didn’t share his voting plans then.

Today @SenatorRomney (second account) put out a statement making it clear that he is willing to vote on a nominee before election day.

Read 6 tweets

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