Writer's Block? - Bruce's Singing Cyclist Musings

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22, 2021 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception: How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation." In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information. They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1. Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2. Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs. Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3. Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp. Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4. When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5. Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source: Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Update: September 22, 2023: This is more important now than ever. Be vigilant and speak in your own way. Love Wins.

Update: McQuade, Barbara, "Attack From Within," 2024. New York Times best seller.

There certainly hasn’t been a shortage of information to opine about since my last post. So, I can’t use that as an excuse for not providing a little more material to the information metaverse.

There has been a family vacation to the Galapagos Islands, three short backpacking trips to the Sierra totaling 14 days, participation in a six week Summer choir called “Out Loud” in support of the LGBTQ+ community and preparations for a Fall concert in a month. Bannering with a local Indivisible group and involvement with a Rapid Response group to help immigrant families adversely affected by malevolent immigration policy have also been a part of my activity space as well as working on my church’s Tech Team over the Summer. I even missed a major event sponsored by my church Environmental Justice Committee.

Those things have occupied a good deal of mental and physical time.

Another reason might be just plain sensory overload. It’s also possible that I have also consciously backed off a bit from the tidal wave of constant information and deliberate mis and disinformation.

Regardless of the reason for my written silence, I need to write about the fact that I haven’t been writing publicly.

https://prezi.com/view/oh819sChhmHvc2Rss3cF

Oh, and I’ve been working on the presentation linked above.

Some songs from the “Out Loud ” choir performance and a link to the entire service if you’re interested.