Tag Archives: facts

Google partners with fact-checking network to fight fake news | engadget #fakenews #factcheck #librarianship #infopros @Google

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Let’s hope IFCN hires more librarians as verified fact checkers…and not “would-be fake news detectives.”

Google is taking its battle against misleading information to the real world. The company has partnered with the International Fact-Checking Network, a nonpartisan organization run by The Poynter Institute that advocates across the globe for accuracy in online articles. The IFCN holds an annual fact-checking conference, funds fellowships and provides training for would-be fake-news detectives, plus it’s the author behind a widely accepted code of principles for media organizations.

Google plans to work with the IFCN in three main ways: increasing the number of verified fact checkers in the world, expanding the code of principles into new regions, and offering free fact-checking tools.

READ MORE: Google partners with fact-checking network to fight fake news | engadget

infophile blog + Christiane Amanpour: How to seek truth in the era of fake news | TED Talk + IFLA Infographic #fakenews #ethics #librarianship #journalism #info #media #facts #IFLA

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A pointed and realistic viewpoint on the state of journalism today.

One of my responsibilities as Research & Strategy Librarian at Calgary Economic Development is fact-checking data points and verifying statements. At times I have explained (repeatedly) why specific information can or cannot be used. Statements in the media or elsewhere are often misleading and taken out of context to suit specific purposes including marketing, messaging and promotion. Using critical judgement, objective analysis and interpretation of data, reviewing methodology and investigating sources are essential and routine activities when sourcing information. I have developed a categorized inventory of verified statements and data points for staff to use when creating content and marketing collateral. The inventory is updated on an ongoing basis. I am available on request to fact-check any content before publication, ensuring all statements are verified and sourced. I highly recommend all organizations develop such a resource.

True story: The Government of Alberta recently issued a news release with an incorrect statement and source for an important factual statement about the provincial film industry. I contacted the media representative twice to request a change to the statement and the source. Thankfully, the news release has now been revised. How do I know the statement source was incorrect??? My organization is the source…and I completed the analysis to develop the statement. Lesson learned: Consider the source.

This great How to Spot Fake News infographic from IFLA outlines the questions we should be asking when viewing media. Be critical!

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales launches Wikitribune, a large-scale attempt to combat fake news » Nieman Lab #news #fakenews #librarianship #factcheck #crowdsourced #journalism #media

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Feeling more skeptical than hopeful about the launch of this new service…unless that is the crowdsourced fact checks are completed by only volunteer librarians!

The crowd-funded news platform aims to combat fake news by combining professional journalism with volunteer fact checking: “news by the people and for the people.” READ MORE: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales launches Wikitribune, a large-scale attempt to combat fake news » Nieman Journalism Lab

How to solve Facebook’s fake news problem: experts pitch their ideas | The Guardian #news #facts #authority #validation #HireALibrarian #duh

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The past few months there was quite the vacuum of factual, non-fake news to post to infophile. Thankfully, with the U.S. election finally over, some cool, timely and hopefully accurate stories are percolating up in my news feeds. Interesting times. How about just Hire a Librarian!!!

A cadre of technologists, academics and media experts are thinking up solutions, from hiring human editors, to crowdsourcing or creating algorithms

Source: How to solve Facebook’s fake news problem: experts pitch their ideas | Technology | The Guardian