Pls week 4 discussion forum

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1. Explain the effect misinformation has had on public opinion. Misinformation damages the public's trust. It is eroding the public's confidence in democracy. It causes confusion in the minds of individuals and makes it difficult to determine what is fabricated and what is true. Additionally, it leads to good people having their reputations destroyed by lies and deception. Society's involvement on social media such as Facebook and TikTok, leads them to being heavily influenced by what they watch and read through those platforms. Most is not news, but rather opinion or hearsay about certain topics. "Misinformation is a powerfully destructive force in this era of global communication, when one false idea can spread instantly to many vulnerable ears" (Nelson, et. al, 2019). 2. Provide at least two examples of misinformation. The first example of misinformation is the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 misinformation was caused by misconstrued understandings of the disease. There were false remedies shared, implications made about where the virus began, and how effective the use of social distancing and/or the use of masks were. One of the biggest scares was the misinformation shared about ingesting disinfectants. The CDC reported that there was a big increase in calls to the poison centers regarding exposure to household disinfectants as they thought it would help them combat the virus (Nelson, et. al, 2019). Confusion about what to do during the pandemic triggered fear in many. The second example of misinformation is the war that is currently taking place in Israel. Since the beginning, people on social media platforms have been sharing misrepresented videos. The video is of Putin speaking, with the claims that he plans to openly send aid to Palestine. However, the video being shown is from the military parade in May of 2021, where he is speaking regarding the anniversary for the end of WWII (Press, 2023). 3. Provide an explanation of your initial perception of that misinformation.
In the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic, I did not know what to believe, or what to do. I was only in tenth grade, so I just had to follow along with what my parents told me to do, based on the information that they were receiving via the news media. However, when the media turned the statements made by President Trump about ingesting disinfectant, I knew that it was not meant literally. Nor do I think that drinking disinfectant would ever be a good idea. I can use common sense. Regarding Putin and everything going on in the world right now, I really was not certain about the video and whether he was sending aid to Palestine. I allowed my opinion of him to convince me that he was doing so. Honestly, I wish that fake news would be outlawed! And, it certainly should not have any part of politics! "Fake news articles are those that are intentionally and verifiably false, designed to manipulate people's perceptions of real facts, events, and statements" (UC Santa Barbara, n.d.). The public deserves the truth, and not what someone has made up to try to sway our vote one way or another. It's confusing, deceptive, for the voters and can ruin the person's reputation. There should certainly be regulations for the media. The type of information they deliver should be restricted, making sure that everything is fact-checked, and from a credible and reliable source. There is enough bad information in the world. It should not be coming from the media outlets. They should be people who we can trust. Nelson T, Kagan N, Critchlow C, Hillard A, Hsu A. The Danger of Misinformation in the COVID-19 Crisis. Mo Med. 2020 Nov-Dec;117(6):510-512. PMID: 33311767; PMCID: PMC7721433. Retrieved November 7, 2023. Press, A. (2023, November 5). Israel-hamas war misinformation is everywhere. here are the facts . The Atlanta Voice. https://theatlantavoice.com/fact-check-israel- hamas/#:~:text=Misinformation%20about%20the%20latest%20Israel,real%20reporting %20from%20the%20conflict . Retrieved November 6, 2023 United States key role in support of human rights . (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://cz.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/policy-history/usa-and-human-rights/ West, D. M., Kamarck, E., Kalb, M., Meltzer, J. P., Williamson, V., & Molly E. Reynolds, A. P. (2022, July 25). Misinformation is eroding the public's confidence in democracy . Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/misinformation-is-eroding-the-publics- confidence-in-democracy/ . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
What is fake news? Center for Information Technology and Society - UC Santa Barbara. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://cits.ucsb.edu/fake-news/what-is-fake-news
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