Category: Digital Literacy

The Caulfield materials focuses on something I have long responded to – ‘factual posting.’ Back in the early days of social media the missing children reports aimed at pulling at heart strings and stroking egos due to the numbers of people repeating ‘fake’ news (yes before DT there was fake news) that the author created out of a few pieces of edited material and vulnerable picture.

In one instance, I called the Pennsylvania State Police to verify the story of a missing child circulating through my church’s social structure (we had a prayer request by a distraught woman in tears over the abduction). Result – FAKE.

I was glad to see the material from Caulfield. I used follow ups through Google news, Snopes and some general search habits to look through 10 of the articles. I notice Caulfield adds daily to his article, so my 10 might not include anyone else’s material.

The result:

1. Female Fight Club – was not about a fight club per se. The photo is listed as women having fun on the roof during the 1930’s Depression. One source suggested this was a pic from Sweden. There is no reference to the claim on the photo, hence boxing by women after being banned from a boxing club by men? – FALSE. 
2. The 800,000 at March for our Lives. Only the organizers suggest it was 800,000. All other sources accept that as true, though no verification of actual numbers is available from anyone else.
3. Urn to Sender – TRUE – campaign started by a university student. 
4. The Snickers story is FALSE and one of the many conspiracy theories growing out of actual pictures with a completely different interpretation than the facts. (Snickers recalled many bars because of plastic getting into the product during the production process). 
5. We the People – tearing the Constitution – FALSE – Photo shopped – the original picture of the paper being torn depicts a shooting target not the American Constitution. 
6. Loop the Loop waterslide – TRUE – the park closed in the 80’s – re-opened in 2016 by the son of the original owner and with a less drastic water slide. 
7. Ken Caldeira can make this claim because he is a scientist with the Carnegie dept of Global Ecology and looks at this stuff all the time. Check him out @ carnegiescience.edu. 
8. Arming Students With Rocks – TRUE – This story was not only covered by Hill media a politically center non partisan source, but CNN covered the story as well. 
9. Klanbake pic – FALSE – 1924 DNC was in NY. The picture is from the Klan’s march on Washington DC in 1925. 
10. AR-15 story – TRUE – The inventor of the AR-15 never intended it to be used by civilians. The story was covered by NBC News, TIME and US News & World Report.

Like Real Estate where the key is location, location, location. Verifying digital sources is about checking, checking and checking again to ensure the facts are accurate and the material is credible beyond the photo.

Fun exercise. Reminds me why it is always important to review information before sharing it online.