Skill: Click Through & Find with Mike Caulfield

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of verifying information by tracing it back to its original source to avoid misleading or deceptive content. It illustrates how re-reporting can alter the context and presents strategies to find and assess the accuracy of the original reporting. The script uses examples, such as a headline about Canadian views on defunding the police and a tweet misrepresenting a political leader's stance, to demonstrate the process of fact-checking and the significance of context in understanding news stories.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Verifying information by going back to the original source is crucial to avoid misleading or deceptive information.
• 🗣️ The context of a story can be lost or altered when it's re-reported, which can lead to misinformation.
• 🔗 If a website doesn't provide a link to the original source, use search techniques to find it.
• 📊 A slim majority in polls, like 51%, should not be exaggeratedly reported as a broad consensus.
• 📰 The original source often provides more accurate and nuanced information compared to re-reports.
• 📈 Understanding the context, like the meaning of 'defund the police', is essential for informed discussions.
• 🚫 Misinformation can spread through false context or framing, where real content is shared with a misleading summary.
• 🔎 Use 'find in page' feature (ctrl-f or command-f) to quickly verify claims within a webpage.
• 👀 Always check the original source and not just rely on someone else's summary, even if it's from a reputable source.
• ✅ The habit of tracing information to its original source can lead to higher quality and more complete information.

Q & A

Why is it important to trace information back to its original source?

Tracing information back to its original source is important because it helps to ensure that the information has not been distorted or misrepresented through re-reporting or false context.

What is the analogy used in the script to describe the process of tracing information?

The script uses the analogy of 'going back to the first person in a game of broken telephone' to explain the importance of finding the original source of information.

What is re-reporting and how can it lead to misinformation?

Re-reporting is when a website takes information originally reported elsewhere, summarizes it, and possibly blends it with other information or sources. This can lead to misinformation if crucial details are omitted or if the summary is misleading.

How can one find the original source of a story if it's not provided?

If the original source is not provided, one can usually find it using search terms and the same techniques used to verify if a claim was reported by other sources.

What did the Global News article reveal about the majority of Canadians' views on defunding the police?

The Global News article, based on a poll by Ipsos, revealed that 51 percent of Canadians support the idea of defunding the police, which is a slim majority.

What is the difference between the headline in the re-reported story and the original Global News article?

The re-reported story's headline exaggeratedly claimed a majority of Canadians support defunding the police, while the Global News headline more accurately described Canadians as divided on the issue.

Why is it beneficial to get into the habit of tracing information to the original source?

Tracing information to the original source can lead to higher quality sources that often provide more complete or nuanced stories, which helps in avoiding misinformation.

What is false context or false framing, and how does it spread misinformation?

False context or false framing occurs when real content is shared with a false comment or summary that misrepresents the story, leading to the spread of misinformation.

How can one verify the accuracy of a claim made on social media, such as a tweet?

One can verify the accuracy of a claim on social media by clicking through to the linked source and using the 'find in page' feature to search for keywords related to the claim.

What technique can be used to quickly check the accuracy of a claim within a webpage?

The 'find in page' feature can be used to quickly search for keywords within a webpage to verify the accuracy of a claim or to find additional context.

How did the person who shared the story on Twitter misrepresent the actual content of the Globe and Mail article?

The person on Twitter misrepresented the Globe and Mail article by claiming that the NDP leader praised Trump and suggested Canada should adopt US policies, which was not supported by the actual content of the article.