Who shares fake news? Until today, conventional wisdom held that posting misinformation to Facebook and other platforms was largely a byproduct of ideology. The more conservative you were in 2016, the argument goes, the more likely you were to share hoaxes. But a fascinating new paper published today in the journal Science Advances suggests that something else is afoot. I wrote about it today at The Verge: 11 percent of users older than 65 shared a hoax, while just 3 percent of users 18 to 29 did. Facebook users ages 65 and older shared more than twice as many fake news articles than the next-oldest age group of 45 to 65, and nearly seven times as many fake news articles as the youngest age group (18 to 29). “When we bring up the age finding, a lot of people say, ‘oh yeah, that’s obvious,’” co-author Andrew Guess, a political scientist at Princeton University, told The Verge. “For me, what is pretty striking is that the relationship holds even when … [Read more...] about The good news about elderly people sharing so much fake news
Fake news meme generator
Inflammatory political memes and false news find a new social media home: LinkedIn
By Alyssa Pereira, SFGATE Published 2:56 pm PST, Monday, November 5, 2018 LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 03: The LinkedIn app logo is displayed on an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 03: The LinkedIn app logo is displayed on an iPhone on August 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) Photo: Carl Court, Getty Images Scroll through to see the most promising jobs of 2018, according to LinkedIn. Scroll through to see the most promising jobs of 2018, according to LinkedIn. Photo: Laredo Morning Times Financial analystMedian base salary: $65,000Job openings (YoY growth): 4,000+ (25%)Career advancement score (out of 10): 10Top skills: Microsoft Excel, financial analysis, Microsoft Office, management, accountingJob description: Financial analysts analyze … [Read more...] about Inflammatory political memes and false news find a new social media home: LinkedIn
Mail bombing is a generational form of American terrorism
This week, someone in America has taken it upon themselves to mail bombs to George Soros, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, the Democratic Rep. (and former chair of the Democratic National Convention) Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former US Attorney General Eric Holder, Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, and former CIA director John Brennan. Brennan’s bomb arrived at CNN’s New York City office, leading to the prompt evacuation of the building. Robert De Niro, a prominent critic of the current president, also received a package with an explosive device inside. On Thursday, The New York Times reported that the US Postal Service records images of mail that comes into its system, and a search of those images led to the discovery of more suspicious packages. How many more was not immediately clear. There’s a thread connecting all of them, of course: each person on the list is a prominent member of the Democratic Party, and each — aside from De Niro — has been … [Read more...] about Mail bombing is a generational form of American terrorism
Faked Video Could End Justice by Twitter Mob
It used to be that cameras never lie. We tend to privilege visual content, trust what we see, and rely on police cams, mobile recording tools and similar devices to tell us about what is really happening on the streets, in local businesses, and more. WIRED OPINION ABOUT Catherine Brooks (@catfbrooks) is an Associate Professor of Information at the University of Arizona, where she is the associate director of the School of Information and founding director of the Center for Digital Society and Data Studies. She is a Public Voices Fellow with the Op Ed Project. Take, for example, a viral video that shows a white woman calling the police as black men in Oakland attempt to barbecue. Millions are laughing, and the woman’s image is being used as a meme across the Internet. When a video of a patron threatening café employees for not speaking English went viral, the subject, a New York attorney Aaron Schlossberg, was identified on social media within hours. His office information … [Read more...] about Faked Video Could End Justice by Twitter Mob
Inside the government agency designing tech to fight fake news
Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. SUBSCRIBE In the world of internet memes, Instagram filters, and Photoshop, seeing is no longer believing. Everyone is a photographer or videographer once they have a smartphone in their hands, which often comes equipped with alteration tools already installed. But manipulations that started with cropping and teeth-whitening have spurred into the spread of misinformation. Take this photo of Parkland shooting survivor, Emma Gonzalez, seemingly ripping up the U.S. Constitution. The image went viral following last month's March For Our Lives, where Gonzalez attracted widespread media attention after addressing hundreds of thousands of supporters of gun control. The photo sparked outrage on social media, criticizing Gonzalez's motives and her patriotism. But the image had been doctored. In the original photo, Gonzalez was tearing up a shooting range target, and was part of a Teen … [Read more...] about Inside the government agency designing tech to fight fake news