It's no secret that technology has made accessing news easier and, consequently, increased its speed of dissemination. But with this new way of consuming information have also come the... fake newsAfter all, who hasn't received that message in the family group chat claiming that fennel tea kills the coronavirus?!
I've often wondered at what point in life this wave of fake news started to gain so much traction. My social bubble makes me think it's very easy to identify fake news, but in practice it's clear that it's not that simple.
Tell me, do you usually spread a story without knowing if it's true or false? It could be something "silly," like, for example, the end of your cousin's relationship. If your answer was no, now tell me, why then do we neglect verifying the news in other areas?! So now let's have a tip from Jessica:
- Always check which website published the news and look for it on other news portals.
- Don't share the news before you're sure it's true.
If we think back, it's easy to recall many events surrounded by fake news Here in Brazil and around the world. Whether those that gained significant traction during the last elections or those that made mention of the pandemic we are experiencing in 2020.
One truth is that this wave of fake news ended up further polarizing the internet, especially on topics related to the coronavirus. This division was so great that, at a certain point, we became two groups: "If Átila said it, I believe it" or "Ah, his data is exaggerated."
This consequently reflects the increasingly strong political division we are seeing since the wall was erected in front of the National Congress during demonstrations both for and against the impeachment of former President Dilma Rousseff.
But 2020 brought a greater awareness of the creation and dissemination of fake news, so much so that biologist Átila Iamarino was chosen by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) as spokesperson for the campaign against fake news during the 2020 municipal elections. In addition, there are also portals that verify the veracity of information; a good example is Agência Lupa, the first to specialize in fact-checking in Brazil.
Use technology to your advantage
The agency now has another new feature in addition to its website that checks news daily. A WhatsApp tool has been launched to help verify information. To use this new tool in your app, simply add the number +55 21 99193-3751 to your contacts. Check it out here A step-by-step guide on what to do next.
