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News on Credibility and Trust
Although a growing body of literature has provided important insight into the conceptualization and consequences of mis- and disinformation, we know little about the construction of communicative (un)truthfulness online. Because (partisan) attributions of dishonesty and inaccuracy may influence citizens’ political opinions, and because accusations of fake news can be used to delegitimize political opponents and […]
By Michael HameleersCollege students, Alec Baldwin or a Russian bot? A Facebook page called North Carolina Breaking News describes itself as “satire/parody” that wants to help President Donald Trump win re-election this fall. The page, which has garnered more than 50,000 followers since it was created Jan. 24, posts a mix of real and fake news. Now […]
By Hayley Fowler
Attempts at Debunking “Fake News” about Epidemics Might Do More Harm Than Good | Scientific American
Was it a bioweapon from a virology institute? Had it been known before and already patented? Could homeopathic remedies help? All of these ideas about the headline-making novel coronavirus disease—now officially called COVID-19—are blatantly false. As with any recent outbreak, from Zika to Ebola, untruths and conspiracy theories spread as quickly as the pathogen itself. […]
By Gary StixWe still don’t know who won the Democratic Iowa caucuses, largely due to technical issues with an app that precincts were supposed to use to report their results. The official results are now supposed to come out sometime Tuesday. In the meantime, the delay — and concerns about the technical issues — has already begun […]
By German LopezFacebook and Twitter are a long way from instilling confidence after letting misinformation flood their services during recent elections, according to a new survey. Most Americans still don’t trust social media as a source of political news. Fifty-nine percent of adults distrust Facebook, the worst showing among major social media sites, according to the Pew […]
By Danielle AbrilMajor social media platforms have empowered individuals who were previously unable to make their ideas visible on a large scale. They have dramatically altered the advertising markets by directly serving news to users to the detriment of media brands — thereby diverting an important source of income from news media. They have built users’ profiles […]
By Pierre François Docquir & Maria Luisa Stasi[if lt IE 9]> “We are thrilled to announce the theme of the 2020 AAA Annual Meeting to be held in St. Louis, MO: Truth and Responsibility. “Truth and Responsibility” is a call to reimagine anthropology to meet the demands of the present moment. The imperative to bear witness, take action, and be held accountable to […]
Popular dating services like Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder are spreading user information like dating choices and precise location to advertising and marketing companies in ways that may violate privacy laws, according to a new report that examined some of the world’s most downloaded Android apps. Grindr, the world’s most popular gay dating app, transmitted user-tracking […]
By Natasha Singer and Aaron KrolikThe economic outlook for journalism remains dark. The news industry’s once-dependable revenue model, based on selling advertising and subscriptions, increasingly seems like an artifact from a different era. Against this backdrop, many journalism stakeholders have looked to foundation funding for rescue. Between 2009 and mid-2016, foundations gave $1.1 billion to journalism projects within the US. […]
By Jacob Nelson and Patrick FerrucciThis explorative study examines how Facebook’s News Feed, fear of missing out (FOMO), news literacy, experience of fake news, disappointment at local election results, trust in the News Feed, and perceptions of algorithms affect users’ attitude toward Facebook as a political news source and fake news regulations. After collecting 1453 valid online feedbacks, we find […]