Senior leaders at Mashable and Gizmodo offer tips on how to discern truth from lie, and fake out fake news.
At the recent Inspirefest 2017 event, Siliconrepublic.com editor John Kennedy spoke with Mashable UK editor Anne-Marie Tomchak and Gizmodo CEO Raju Narisetti, who both pointed out that fake news is nothing new.
Tomchak said that people can determine truth from lie by ensuring they read from a variety of sources and study the source of the information. More than ever, the onus is on the reader to think critically about what they decide to read and share.
“I would say the best tip I could give is, read the article, right?” Tomchak said to applause from the audience.
Narisetti said that the manipulation of facts and data is widespread, and can be seen in the ongoing debate around climate change.
“I think storytelling, putting more fact-checks in, are ways to help audiences and readers get at the facts.
“There is no algorithmic solution to making you smarter about fake news. You’ve got to read, look for the cues.”
Words by John Kennedy
