HOW TO SEE-THROUGH AND IDENTIFY FAKE NEWS?

HOW TO SEE-THROUGH AND IDENTIFY FAKE NEWS?

 

        According to my Anonymous friends, around 80% of posts (comments, news, videos) in the Internet are either “fake news” or “false propaganda.” In a sense, the term “Yellow Journalism” (etymology c. 1898, American media) is perfect in the current flow of events, especially in the Philippines, where a media network – ABS-CBN – and an online news portal – Rappler – are using “cheaply sensational and unscrupulous methods in telling news.” Both ABS-CBN and Rappler are believed to be biased in supporting the dogma of the so-called “yellow” traditional politicians (trapos) in the Philippines. So, how do we distinguish the black-and-white from the yellow; the true from the bogus?

        For me, as both a researcher and a journalist-writer, it must go through 7 sieves:

1. DON’T BUY IT AT FIRST GLANCE. You might call it paranoia, but being always analytical of everything will keep you on guard at all times. Having an analytical, critical, and doubting mindset will prevent you from being immediately taken by the “shock” value of a post. It will give you the necessary experience to immediately recognize what is true, seemingly true, half-true, pretending to be true, and totally fake!

2. LOOKING THROUGH THE WORDS. Read through the wordings of the post, the way the text is written and, for videos, the manner the words are spoken. See through it if it seems hesitant, unsure, dilly-dallying, inconsistent, cowering, introvert, taciturn, playing safe, and overly cautious of something. This is one easy way of knowing something is not right. However, professional perjurers and black propagandists who hide their identities under false names can go around this by boldly and boastfully stating their claims as if they were an established fact. So, be wary also of people who speaks through avatars.

3. CHECK THE DATA/EVIDENCE. This probably is the easiest way. Take caution, however, that there are ways in which real and correct data may be presented, but the presentation are distorted to favor the wrong side. So, check the data and also the math behind the data. Mathematics don’t lie. In this cyberage, evidences can be digitally fabricated and altered. So, check for other sources of the same evidence and make a thorough comparison.

4. KNOW THE AUTHOR/SPEAKER. Not just how good and distingished a writer he/she is, but his/her socio-political bias. Some journalists do inject their own versions of facts diverging from the truth. You must be cunning enough not to get conned. It is also prudent to check the background of the author, his/her intentions, and who he/she is working for.

5. LOOK AT THE BACKGROUND. Know not only the publisher but everything else behind the scene. Not just because it is an established entity or company, but who are the people connected to it, stockholders, financers, advisers, etc. While the post may not entirely be fake, chances are it contains half-truths and distortions. Now-a-days, CNN, NYPost, Reuter, Youtube, etc., more so, ABS-CBN, MSN, Rappler are quite compromised. A good researcher/journalist look for reliable first-hand information, if possible, direct from the source. Those found online, especially news and videos passed and shared from one site to another, are merely third or fourth-hand infos, tainted and, much, much less reliable. It’s quite laughable that there is this supposed “fact” checker called Vera Files, where the people behind it have their own agenda, which is, censure and censor the posts that they deemed against their socio-political affiliation, and allow the propagation of those that espouse their dogma regardless of veracity or factuality. So, in social media fora like Facebook and Twitter, you also need to know those kind of ghouls. I wonder why Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t kick them out yet, if he indeed has an independent and progressive mind.

6. SOURCE IT OUT. If you can, breakdown the news or video files,and analyze the source code. You might find something interesting, in that different published materials contain similar codes and originating from the same digital source. That would be very suspicious. Many Youtube videos and online news submissions have been tracked and tagged to the same URL or passing through the same IP addresses.

7. PSYCHE THE IMPLICATIONS. This, perhaps, encompasses all the sieves. Evaluate the objectives of the post, its intended audience, scenario, and endgame. What does it seek to accomplish? Does it have a secret agenda? Who will benefit what?

 

 

THE RESSA EXPERIENCE

Number of people working for ABS-CBN according to Maria Ressa
as compared to the world’s largest establishment in terms of work force.

        Netizens, especially Filipinos, recently had the experience of seeing, and identifying, first hand, what a “fake new” is. According to Maria Ressa, which she even insisted (before she had a bump in the head and finally realized she was 1,000 percent off the number she intended to say, and 25,000 percent off the real number), ABS-CBN has 11 million employees! Wow! That would make it the world’s largest work force! More than 3 times the number of employees in the US Department of Defense; around 4 times bigger than the People’s Liberation Army of China; and more than 5 times the combine total of all of Walmart’s work force. Mathematically, that would also make 85 percent of the entire population of Metro Manila as ABS-CBN employees, including the babies and the octogenarians. REALLY MIND-BOGGLING!

        Well, she did apologize for the fib after all the world’s population marked her and it as “fake news!” Pun intended!

        Now, she’s been tagged as the “Queen Purveyor of Fake News.” For how can anyone with a sane mind believe Maria Ressa who keeps declaring that “press freedom in the Philippines is dead” and “she is being silenced by the government,” when she has been in every news on paper and broadcast, and in every talk shows talking about her declarations, aside from her Internet ballyhoos and booboos? C’mon, lady, you’re making a fool of yourself and, sadly, of the journalism profession. The Filipino people are no longer political idiots and subservient sycophants to believe a word you are saying. Well, there are still probably a few blind mice.

 

 

BEING A JOURNALIST

        Being a journalist is an honorable profession. Truly, the pen is mightier, more powerful, than the sword. Allow me, however, to borrow a quote made famous by the Spider-Man films, “with great power comes great responsibility” (first written in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15, August 1962). An honorable journalist, therefore, follows unbreakable ethics. Honor requires that you tell the truth, malign and insult noone, respect the rule of Law, and never allow anyone to use you for selfish interest. Never used the power of journalism to espouse evil purposes and sow discords, but rather use it for the betterment and unity of your fellowmen. Never abuse its power, but rather use it as a borrowed privilege. In this manner, any success and tribute you gain will not get into and bloat your head and ego, but rather will guard your conscience against false pretense and keep your feet on the ground.

 

 

NOTE: The wall picture is a production illustration, where two graphics were combined to form a significant concept image.