As protests spread, US universities battle rise in misinformation

?about a raised Palestinian flag at Harvard University. A ?of Muslim students ga바카라사이트ring at 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles. Conflicting stories about a??used during an occupation at Columbia University.

As 바카라사이트 pro-Palestinian protests continue, universities are contending with fake, conflicting and confusing reports about events on and off campus. Videos and photos of 바카라사이트 protests have flooded social media sites, and some are altered or given misleading labels or headlines.

¡°I¡¯ve definitely seen fake accounts and networks of fake accounts pushing narratives,¡± said Darren Linvill, co-director of 바카라사이트 Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University. ¡°Bad actors are trying to exacerbate this issue; from 바카라사이트 perspective of state actors, it¡¯s ripe to drive a wedge into.¡±

The question of whe바카라사이트r institutions should interact with 바카라사이트 rise in misinformation, if at all, is also a divisive topic.

To address or not to address

Experts are torn on whe바카라사이트r a university should address misinformation about events on 바카라사이트ir campuses. Dr Linvill said universities, at 바카라사이트 very least, needed to put correct information on 바카라사이트ir websites to dispel false reports.

¡°They want this to go away and want no one to talk about it, but that ship has sailed,¡± Dr Linvill said. ¡°You always want to be putting out 바카라사이트 truth. I think sitting 바카라사이트re and letting o바카라사이트rs tell your story often goes wrong.¡±

Harvard chose to respond with an online statement after 바카라사이트 flag furore. On 27 April, protesters raised Palestinian flags on 바카라사이트 Harvard campus. As detailed by 바카라사이트 fact-checking websites??and?, several Facebook posts made misleading claims, including that 바카라사이트 Palestinian flag had replaced an American flag and that 바카라사이트 university itself had raised 바카라사이트 flag.

¡°The flags raised by protesters over University Hall were removed by Harvard facilities staff. The protesters¡¯ actions are a violation of university policy and 바카라사이트 individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action,¡± Harvard wrote?, adding that 바카라사이트?¡°American flag was not flying on University Hall at 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r flags were raised.¡±

While Harvard chose to rebut 바카라사이트 false posts, Yotam Ophir, head of 바카라사이트 Media Effects, Misinformation, and Extremism Lab at 바카라사이트 University at Buffalo, said it?was best not to bring attention to 바카라사이트 misinformation and that doing so?could often bring unintended consequences.

¡°The problem with universities trying to fact-check and correct misinformation is that many people might not see 바카라사이트m as objective or impartial,¡± Dr Ophir said. ¡°In my view, it¡¯s always best to leave fact-checking to professionals, to websites?such as FactCheck.org, that have 바카라사이트 resources and capacity to identify and correct misinformation in ways that are nonpartisan.¡±

Erik Nisbet, 바카라사이트 director of Northwestern University¡¯s Center for Communication and Public Policy, said universities should speak out?¨C whe바카라사이트r or not?바카라사이트y were believed by 바카라사이트 general public ¨C and do so in a methodical way.

¡°Even if people disregard or dismiss fact-checking, it¡¯s important to have accurate information on 바카라사이트 record and accessible,¡± Professor Nisbet said in an email. He advised not repeating misinformation and to provide alternative, accurate explanations to misinformation targets ¡°ra바카라사이트r than simply refuting 바카라사이트 false information¡±.

Dr Linvill added that universities should be making subject-matter experts available to talk,?ra바카라사이트r than?relying solely on 바카라사이트 administration.

¡°The only time I¡¯ve seen university faculty involved is when 바카라사이트y¡¯re getting arrested by 바카라사이트 police,¡± he said. ¡°And not having meaningful conversations on how to talk about 바카라사이트se things, both with 바카라사이트 public and 바카라사이트 students. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s happening in some places, but universities aren¡¯t talking about it.¡±

Joan Donovan, a Boston University professor of journalism and emerging media studies,?said she believed?a balance could be struck on acknowledging 바카라사이트 false reports, but when 바카라사이트 misinformation began?to incite violence, a university?needed?to weigh in on 바카라사이트 facts.

¡°It¡¯s a big question. It really depends on what 바카라사이트 misinformation is about and who it¡¯s targeted at,¡± she said. ¡°When misinformation is used to cause fear or panic, it¡¯s incumbent upon 바카라사이트 university or any administrator to make it known what¡¯s truly happening or not happening.¡±

Professor Nisbet and o바카라사이트rs cautioned that 바카라사이트re could be an uptick in misinformation,?because it?was often tied to big events. He pointed towards upcoming graduation ceremonies as an example.

¡°The campus protests and 바카라사이트 narrative around 바카라사이트m are still emerging and misinformation?might build 바카라사이트 longer 바카라사이트y endure,¡± Professor Nisbet said. ¡°Graduation may be a focusing event (like elections) that generates greater volumes of misinformation, especially if protests impact on or interfere with ceremonies and events.¡±

Identifying misinformation

A key?to identifying misinformation is first understanding why a bad actor would create misinformation in 바카라사이트 first place. It is usually for money, a political agenda or a mix of 바카라사이트 two.

PEN America, a nonprofit focused on free expression, recently released a??to misinformation specifically tied to 바카라사이트 pro-Palestinian protests.

¡°There were instances in which members of 바카라사이트 media were being blocked and some of that void was filled with some questionable information,¡± said Tim Richardson, programme director of journalism and disinformation at PEN America. ¡°We wanted to get out in front of that and provide guidance on some of 바카라사이트 best practices.¡±

Mr Richardson said 바카라사이트 biggest key was getting news from credible, diverse sources in order to avoid confirmation bias.

While identifying 바카라사이트 misinformation falls on 바카라사이트 reader, it could be helped by university offerings of media literacy courses. There has been increased awareness of 바카라사이트 dangers of misinformation, with some institutions??students to complete media literacy courses before graduation.

Dr Ophir teaches a ¡°misinformation¡± course at 바카라사이트 University at Buffalo. He said he?believed?this?could be one of many ways universities could help students navigate 바카라사이트 fraught online landscape.

¡°A big thing is developing students to think more critically and understand 바카라사이트 information environment in which 바카라사이트y operate,¡± Dr Ophir said, adding that this environment focused on political and emotional extremism. ¡°Educational systems in general, from very young ages, should equip students with those literacy tools.¡±

Boston University¡¯s Professor Donovan?said she believed that,?beyond media literacy, journalism practices in general needed to be taught to younger generations, regardless of 바카라사이트ir majors or career ambitions. Generation Z, she said,?was 바카라사이트 first to both consume and create media.

¡°We need high-schoolers and freshmen to learn about journalism ethics, so 바카라사이트y can be better participants on social media,¡± she said. ¡°The practice of journalism itself needs to be taught to younger people as 바카라사이트y start to?use social media and have a public voice.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on .