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group of U of G students organized a public TwitterChat on April 1 to discuss fake news.
The discussion, called “Deciphering Fake from Real News During Times of Crisis,” was hosted by students from the “Literature and Social Change” class, and was held on Twitter. The organizers, Sarah Mallot, Rimsha Faisal, Heather Clayton, and Leah Boileau, invited participants, including The Ontarion, to respond to question prompts and discuss issues such as misinformation and how to recognize fake news.
Heather Clayton, a fourth-year English Literature student and one of the organizers, told The Ontarion that the discussion was meant to “bring attention to the fact that fake news and misinformation in the news is real.”
#NewsNavigation #Coronavirustruth #coronavirus #FakeNewsMedia pic.twitter.com/z5xoN0EEJ3
— Open-hall (@open_hallUOG) April 1, 2020
“We hoped that people would be able to take away an understanding of the best practices for reading the news and media.” She added that the organizers “would have loved for more people to be there, but seeing as how our event was changed due to COVID-19 and social-distancing, we’re happy with how it turned out.” Originally, the event was intended as an in-person panel discussion.
One of the question prompts posted by the organisers (@open_hallUOG) read: “Have you read any fake news about COVID-19? How did you recognize it was fake news and what did you do?”
“I generally try to avoid getting news from social media,” said Twitter user @sealyseely
“Quite often people will share information that is untrue or partially true which causes people to hoard items or panic! It’s a good practice to ask for the source of the information!” was the response from Guelph Library (@GuelphLibrary).
When asked why it is so important for people to be thoughtful about the news they read and share, Clayton said: “there are so many hoaxes and misinformation that are unknowingly being passed around, inciting fear and worry. If people take their time and make sure to know the facts, they’ll have more peace of mind, which is important during times of crisis.”
A version of this article appeared in print in The Ontarion issue 188.4 on April 9, 2020.
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