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.
Maybe I’m just old fashioned, or just old, but but when did misogyny, boorishness, lying, greed, selfishness, hatefulness, meanness, harassment of public servants, sexual harassment, misrepresentation of Christian values, white nationalism, hate speech, disinformation, climate change denial among many other despicable lack of character traits become ok, become a part of the mainstream American social and political landscape? I have a hint of why this is happening, but that discussion is for another post.
The list of the characterless behaviors and attitudes that now controls one of the two major American political parties goes on, unfortunately for all of us, way longer. The very people who claim to be Christian and live by Christian values have flipped Christianity on it’s ear. The current iteration of Christianity not only tolerates, it promotes the above list
Where were the so called Christians when a real Christian, Jimmy Carter, was president? He exemplified the life of Jesus Christ and lived his values. This current group of theopolitical evangelical “back to the future” thinkers are difficult to listen to and even more difficult to understand.
The speaker of the House of Representatives is for placing conditions on disaster aid to California
My wife and I stopped by our local Barnes and Noble looking for any gems we could find on the cheap before the store closes permanently tomorrow. We only picked up five books. By our self imposed household rule, that means that five books will have to relocate to someone else’s library or a local “Little Library.”
I picked out “All in the Family” by Donald’s brother Fred C Trump lll, “Zen and the Beat Way” by Allan Watts and a little book that I opened in the Religion section titled “White Lies” by Pastor Daniel Hill.
Pastor Hill’s 2020 book is about the linkage between White Christianity and White Nationalism. I’ve only read the Preface and the first couple pages of Chapter 1, but I have found another book to put in my bed stand queue. Hill starts by defining the charactertistics of a parasite.
He then equates White Nationalism as a parasite inside the White Christian Church. The book is directed at Christians and is a guide on how to regain the Christ in Christianity. That’s as far into the religion as I’m going to get pretty much because that is all I know from the little that I have read in the book so far.
The latest Atlantic Magazine has a story about the New Apostolic Reformation movement. If can get your hands on a copy of the February 2025 issue, I recommend that you read the article. Right Wing religion is hijacking the United States along with the current president and they must be outed and stopped.
They appear to be taking the role of Trump’s Nazi-like Brown Shirt thugs and goons. Brown Shirts did Hitler’s dirty work of intimidation and destruction as Hitler was taking power of the German government in the 1930’s.
This politically based right wing religious movement must be outed and stopped!
As I write this, I am hearing news of the pardons of the January 6 Insurrectionists. We are in full on opposition mode now. There is no longer any doubt what is going on in this country.
Stay informed, stay engaged, speak up and take good care of yourself.
Much more to come.
On the bright side, Right Reverend Maryann Budde the Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C., spoke truth to power at the Inaugural Prayer Service. Click on her name for a link to the transcript of her sermon and a recording of the service.
I was bouyed by her courage.
Hang in there.,
Thx, and BRAVA to Bishop Budde!!!
Happy Thursday.
Hal.
Heather Cox Richardson says (Jan. 22),
“On social media, Heather Thomas wrote: ‘So when all was said and done, the only country that opened [its] prisons and sent crazy murderous criminals to prey upon innocent American citizens, was us.’”
Love you, brother! We are on the same page. I cannot watch the news anymore, it is so painful!
Well said.