Fake news / SC launches judiciary help desk

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Last Monday, I got a Facebook post which said that Brent Pachao of Bontoc, Mountain Province was shot to death in front of the St. Peters Funeral Chapel along Marcos Highway in Baguio City on Monday

The post went on to say that Pachao died as a result of 14 bullets pumped into his body. It said his son was also killed in Bulacan in the same manner the previous week fueling comments the killing could have been a warning and prelude to his ambush due to business among others.

It turned out, all these information was false. The guy who was killed was a certain Mora who was also tagged as a former agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. But then again, regional PDEA officials said Mora was never a PDEA agent. (See story in page 1 for more details).

Anyway, acquaintances of Brent said he was inviting those who heard the news for coffee.

The next day, we got news that Benguet Congressman Nestor Fongwan died. Not true, we found out later. These two instances show how fake news has become a daily occurrence in our lives.

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Here are four tips for spotting a fake news story by Christina Nagler who said that fake news or stories that seemed accurate, are actually downright false.

While fake news has been circulating as long as its legitimate counterpart, it's been getting a lot of play recently, thanks to the way we consume information.

According to Pew Research Center, people under age 50 get half of their news online. And for those under 30, online news is twice as popular as TV news.

Speaking of the Internet, one was about this Banana Republic’s top honcho reportedly saying megastar Sharon Cuneta has split from her hubbie Sen. Mike Pangilinan.

Cuneta went on air saying this was not the case saying she was lovey dovey with her husband and even posted a happy picture of her and the senator. 

Fake news goes viral because thousands of people circulate these false stories. Why? Perhaps because eye-popping headlines in our social media feeds make it easier for us to share content than evaluate or even read it. This creates a viral storm of sound bites without substance.

Another contributing factor, according to Pew Research, is confirmation bias. People are more likely to accept information that confirms their beliefs and dismiss information that does not.

But the result of all this misinformation isn’t simply ignorance. It can also provoke serious consequences like people confronting or even killing people due to fake news.

In instances such as these, the stakes are too high not to get the facts straight.

If the past years have been any indication, next year promises to be a doozy of a news year. So we need to defend ourselves against getting duped. Keeping track of good and bad news requires us, as readers, to do a little legwork.

Here’s how: Let’s get critical in evaluating news. Nagler’s suggestions:

1. Vet the publisher’s credibility.

Would the publishing site meet academic citation standards? Just because a site is popular among your friends does not mean its content is accurate.

What is the domain name? Be wary of unusual top-level domain names, like “.com.co.”

A second-level domain like “abcnews” may appear credible. But note that abcnews.com.co is a different and illegitimate site, though designed to appear similar to the original.

What’s the publication’s point of view? Read the “About Us” section for more insight into the publisher, leadership, and mission statement. Also, confirm that you have not stumbled upon a satirical news site, like the Onion.

Who is the author? Has he or she published anything else? Be suspicious if the byline, which names the author, is a celebrity writing for a little-known site or if the author’s contact information is a G-mail address.

2. Pay attention to quality and timeliness.

Do you notice spelling errors, lots of ALL CAPS, or dramatic punctuation?!?!?! If so, abort your reading mission.

Reputable sources have high proofreading and grammatical standards.  

Is the story current or recycled? Make sure an older story isn’t being taken out of context.

3. Check sources and citations.

How did you find the article? If the content showed up in your social media feed or was promoted on a website known for clickbait, proceed with caution. Even if the information was shared by a friend, be sure to follow the steps below to vet the publisher’s credibility.

Who is (or is not) quoted, and what do they say? If you notice a glaring lack of quotes and contributing sources, particularly on a complex issue, then something is amiss. Credible journalism is fed by fact-gathering, so a lack of research likely means a lack of fact-based information.

Is the information available on other sites? If not, then it’s very likely that the journalistic jury is still out on whether this information is valid. Library databases are a great resources for confirming the credibility of information—check out Harvard Library's list of public resources.

Can you perform reverse searches for sources and images? By checking cited sources, you can confirm that the information has been accurately applied and not altered to meet the author’s point of view. The same goes for images. In an era of Photoshop magic, you can’t always believe what you see.

4. Ask the pros.

Have you visited a fact-checking website? There are many good ones, like FactCheck.org, International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), PolitiFact.com, or Snopes.com. Do your own detective work and feel more confident in being able to identify fact vs. fiction. Sources for this story include the News Literacy Project, Pew Research Center, Venngage: How to Spot Fake News, NPR’s All Things Considered.

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The Supreme Court (SC) launched Monday its Judiciary Public Assistance Section (JPAS) to address complaints about questionable conduct of judges and delayed court proceedings. 

A news dispatch said this was a pet project of Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta. The JPAS is composed of three units: the help desk, hotline and e-mail messaging.

The JPAS will serve as the “official line of communication between the judiciary, its stakeholders and the public,” Peralta said.

It is under the direct supervision of the office of the Chief Justice. 

Peralta said the help desk would provide assistance and information as well as address questions from judiciary stakeholders and the public.

Queries and complaints may be coursed through JPAS hotline numbers (02) 8 526-6185, (02) 8 552-9644 and (02) 8 552-9646 and e-mail address chiefjusticehelpdesk@sc.judiciary.gov.ph.