Here, we provide interesting links from around the web that discuss issues regarding the verification of content from social media: what tools, services and initiatives are there? Who is doing what? What’s the state of affairs regarding eyewitness media and related issues? Here is our list for this week.

The DEBUNKING Handbook

In this article, Susannah Locke interviews Stephan Lewandowsky about debunking false information. From a psychological perspective, Lewandowsky underlines how difficult it can be to debunk false beliefs, especially in regards to backfire effects, familiarity effects, and the worldview effects. If you want to know more about this topic from the cognitive scientist, go check out The DEBUNKING Handbook.

Source: Sceptical Science

 

Fact check next year’s presidential elections

IJNet picked their favourite verification tools for 2016. Among others, they highlighted some tools for verifying political news, which will be interesting and relevant for next year’s presidential election. Firstly, there is the Washington Post Fact Checker (Here is a list of the most popular fact checks of 2015). Then, there is FactCheck.org, a Project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Source: IJNet

 

Fakes in 2015

Here are two revealing lists of media items that have been debunked in 2015. This one is from France 24 and includes images and videos evolving around the Charlie Hebdo attack, migrants in Europe and Pegida UK. The Guardian’s list includes further photos that went viral over the past months.

Source: France 24 and The Guardian

 

How to spot hoax Twitter accounts during breaking news

You can use this article as an informative checklist on what helps to verify Twitter accounts or information on Twitter in breaking news situations as well as at other occasions. For example, it is advisable to check the bio and social footprint. Also, looking at past tweets can help. More information can be found in this post on First Draft News, produced by Josh Sterns / Verification Junkie.

Source: First Draft News