Fact-checking the way we check facts, and finding better ways to smack down fake news – CBS17.com

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) From miracle cures for COVID-19 to numbers that lie, weve been busting myths and misinformation about the pandemic.

Nearly two years into it, a question: Are we going about it the wrong way?

A new paper co-authored by a Triangle expert on fake news points out a few things we can all do better.

Perhaps the way we check facts deserves a fact-check of its own.

Theres more we could be doing to work together to try to get through this collectively together, said Brian Southwell, a senior research scientist at RTI International and an expert in human behavior.

Its easy to shame people who fall for misinformation and share the things they see on social media with others.

But that might be the wrong approach, Southwell said.

I think its really easy to blame people that are falling prey to it, and saying, Well, theyre, really causing a lot of our problems, he said. I dont think thats entirely fair. I think we need more empathy and sympathy, and to recognize that were all vulnerable to misinformation. And that we probably need to be thinking a little bit differently about it.

A better question might be why those people look to those inaccurate sources of information instead of trusting the people doctors, health care providers and others in public health who do have the right answers.

He points out that misinformation-spreaders might not have the relationships with those in health care and fill that void with fake news.

If youve got a situation which people are lacking trust, then they might well turn to other sources of information as alternatives, he said.

So whats the solution?

They argue in the paper that it comes down to people involved in health care being accessible and doing the hard, shoe-leather work, saying they could consider on-the-ground trust-building efforts as a path forward.

They also point to resource-limited settings, such as a Native American reservation where investment in local networks and local resources rather than simply tracking myths appearing online can be useful.

One key: Doing so in a way that convinces the misinformed that they have their best interests in mind, he said.

If I dont think you care if I live or die, I may not be willing to trust you, even though I think youre a smart guy, he said.

It also means paying attention to the way we set the record straight.

That means not blaming them for being vulnerable or gullible, Southwell said.

Diplomatically pointing out that there is a set of facts that they ought to be paying attention to is an important way to go about it, he said. I do think that people depend on news outlets for credible information, and theres a great service that youre providing there, and helping to clarify.

But its also important, probably, to make sure that were were doing that in a way that leaves the door open for people to rejoin the conversation and to recognize that, Well, I might have been mistaken about that yesterday, but thanks for pointing that out, he continued. And I think people will be more open to being corrected if they didnt feel shamed by it.

CBS 17sJoedy McCrearyhas been tracking COVID-19 figures since March 2020, compiling data from federal, state,and local sources to deliver a clear snapshot of what the coronavirus situation looks like now and what it could look like in the future.

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Fact-checking the way we check facts, and finding better ways to smack down fake news - CBS17.com