How to deal with online rumours and debunking

If a lie could "travel halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on" in the pre-internet days of Mark Twain, then it would be a fair estimate to say misinformation now lights up social media while the truth is still blindly reaching for the light switch and rubbing the sleep from its eyes.

In a new report released by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism called 'Lies, Damn Lies and Viral Content', verification expert Craig Silverman argues that news organisations should be doing more to stop the spread of falsehoods online and actively work to debunk them.

In presenting the study, he said he hoped more news outlets would take the "middle ground" of responsible debunking, rather than "mindlessly propagating" rumours or exercising "silent restraint" in not discussing them, and shared some advice on how journalists and newsrooms should go about it.

Handling rumours and claims

Understand your impact

As a journalist, even having a mild association with a rumour can add "a layer of credibility" and exposure, said Silverman, and newsrooms should consider what information they want to lend their voice to, especially on social media.

In five to ten minutes it's pretty easy to see whether these emerging stories are light and empty.Craig Silverman, Tow Center

"So really think about what you're going to give more attention to," he said.

Set a standard for pointing/propagating

"Make sure that you're using some clear language to indicate to people that this information is unverified," Silverman said.

"Tell them what is known and unknown and try to be clear about that and create some understanding, as opposed to just throwing it up there and highlighting the most interesting and shareable parts of that which will often just lead people to believe it's true."

Evaluate before you propagate

"In five to ten minutes it's pretty easy to see whether these emerging stories are light and empty," he said, so taking the time to assess the situation can be important in the long run.
 
Hedge consistently
 
The type of language journalists and news organisations use to indicate that a story is unverified should be clear and consistent, so readers are aware of what is – or is not – happening.
 
Debunking

Debunk the idea not the person

"The more you attack the person the less likely they are to listen to you," Silverman said, so when debunking rumours or falsehoods online journalists need to remember to play the ball and not the man.

Tell a story

Readers or viewers will have often created a narrative to the story in their own minds, taking rumours or falsehoods and joining the dots to understand the story. It is the debunker's job to overcome this.

There is a connection between repetition and belief.Craig Silverman, Tow Center

"You want to replace the narrative in people's heads with a counter narrative," Silverman said.

Choose the right sources

As the saying goes, a journalist is only as good as their sources. So a debunking article should have rock solid references to support the truth and, in political debunkings, for example, use recognisable voices from the camp which may have propagated the initial falsehood to give it more legitimacy.

Be positive

Use positive language in debunking, not only because it tends to reap better results on social media but also because "there is a connection between repetition and belief", Silverman said, and journalists should avoid "repeating the mistruths as often as possible in doing the debunking."
 
The slides from the launch presentation of the report are available below, courtesy of Silverman and the Tow Center.
 

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