FRANCE 24 English published this video item, entitled “Truth or Fake 2021: We answer French high school students’ questions!” – below is their description.
Every year the FRANCE 24 Observers brings you a special episode on how to verify online content and debunk misinformation for France’s official Press and Media Week.
This year we partnered with the French Centre for Education in Media and Information to answer questions from French high school students about how we cover fake news.
Coming up:
Chapter 1: Look for clues
Has this video of a Covid-19 vaccination been staged? Is this a real article talking about the death of the first person to get the vaccine in Spain? When you see suspicious posts on social media, look for clues in the image to help you work out what’s true and what’s fake.
Chapter 2: Your telephone is a toolbox!
What are the first things we should do when we see a post that’s been shared a lot on social media? Can you always find where online content originally came from? Verifying online information can be quick and easy – but sometimes you need to dig a bit deeper. You can contact the person who posted it online or carry out your own online search using keywords. You can also use tools on your smartphone to find out where a video actually comes from.
Chapter 3: Fake news and political manipulation
In 2020, the US presidential election was marked by online rumours and false allegations. Donald Trump spread misinformation about electoral fraud, which led to his supporters invading the Capitol. But sometimes it’s not as clear-cut as that – fake news spread to discredit political opponents can sometimes be presented as a joke or satire. Always think about the motives of the person posting the information.
Chapter 4: Check before sharing: everyone’s responsible
How do journalists fact-check information? How long does it take to fact-check something? Although there are lots of useful verification tools out there, sometimes there are things that circulate online that are impossible to verify. This is why everyone needs to do their part and try to fact-check what they’re sharing online.
Thank you to the teachers and students who participated in this episode! Do you want to get in touch with the FRANCE 24 Observers team about misinformation you’ve spotted online?
How to contact us: observers@france24.com
DM us through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.Observers/
Get in touch on Twitter @Observers https://twitter.com/observers?lang=fr
#TruthOrFake #Factchecking #debunk
FRANCE 24 English YouTube Channel
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