What would you do if your name was on a story you didn’t write? If you saw a screenshot of what looked like your publication, with your name next to it, but the words were not yours? If you received extensive backlash for ideas that were not your own?
Rebecca Whittington, the online safety editor at Reach, told Press Gazette this has been a reality for some journalists as she has headed a campaign this week advising readers on how to spot election misinformation.
The campaign run in the Mirror and other titles includes infographics and an informational video on how to check sources.
Whittington said: “Fake news, misinformation, and disinformation are on the rise” and added “when fake news stories are presented on social media as coming from a reputable brand, that can decrease trust in the brand itself.”
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Whittington said: “With the pace of our lives… you see something, you like it, you share it, you move on. It’s very fast moving, and sometimes maybe we don’t stop and think.
“I think it’s really important that we give these simple tips to online users so they can make sure that before they share something with people that will trust them and trust their opinions, that they are checking that it is information they are happy to share and that they feel is valid.
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“So the idea of the campaign is it actually prompts people to stop and think before they just share something. Sometimes all of us are probably guilty of not doing that and maybe regretting it after.”
She said that the government, brands and social media platforms also have a responsibility to counter misinformation.
“If you went into a restaurant and started behaving badly, that restaurant would be well within their right to ask you to leave.
“It’s the same in online spaces – if you go in and start deliberately spreading misinformation with the intent to disrupt or cause harm, really you shouldn’t be allowed to do that”.
Whittington said examples of election misinformation she have included:
- Fake news articles branded like a recognised news source with genuine journalists’ bylines
- A campaigner for one of the political parties captured on a doorbell video camera in Birmingham and given fake captions for on online video
- Campaigning literature designed to look like local newspapers.
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