In the midst of a global pandemic, it seems the actual SARS-CoV-2 virus isn’t the only thing against which we need to inoculate ourselves.
Last week, Northern Ontario health reporter Len Gillis took part in the latest Let’s Talk COVID-19 panel discussion hosted by Science North and Laurentian University.
Last week’s panel included Science North staff scientist Amy Henson, Samantha Fowler, a graduate of the Science Communication program at Laurentian University, Dr. Chantal Barriault, director of the Science Communication program at LU, and Dr. Timothy Caulfield, a Canada Research Chair in health, law and policy at the University of Alberta, as well as a television host and author.
The panel delved into some of the … well, odd, ideas that have been circulating on social media practically since the pandemic began.
The panellist mentioned the 5G conspiracy, which holds that the coronavirus is being transmitted by advanced mobile telecommunications systems. They also highlighted the belief COVID-19 is some kind of bio-weapon and the idea people can treat the virus with cow urine (by drinking it no less, which is just gross. Oregano oil, a perennial favourite of quack cures, and bleach, another favourite, also fall on the list of drink-this-gross/dangerous/deadly-thing-to-cure-your-illness).
Naturally, hydroxychloroquine, a malaria treatment espoused by President Donald Trump, is another chemical certain circles (mostly of the government-is-hiding-something-about-the-pandemic-from-you crowd). Hey, at least it is an actual medication.
We are awash in weird ideas all the time, thanks to the internet, but mostly thanks to Facebook, Twitter and the myriad other social media platforms millions of us visit every day.
It’s been said that humans (or more specifically, the human brain) is an incredible pattern-matching machine. That’s how we can pull a familiar face out of a crowd, for instance. It’s how we figured out the best time to plant and the best time to harvest.
It’s also why we see shapes in clouds and Jesus in potato chips. Our brain is so good at spotting patterns, it can find patterns even when there aren't any.
And not only are humans pattern-matching machines, we’re also storytelling machines. Heck, there is even a school of thought that our experience of reality is a narrative our brain tells us, woven of sensory data and ordered to help us make sense of the world around us.
But as machines go, our pattern-matching and storytelling machines aren’t perfect. They screw up (look at studies on how accurate our memories really are if you want to see how often they screw up. Warning, it will blow your mind how inaccurate your recollection is). And when they screw up, they can have us believing all kinds of hogwash.
If we see a pattern (like the apparent connection between COVID-19 and the rollout of 5G cellular networks) or are told to see a pattern by our pattern-matching machine and that patterns fits with another previously held belief (like large corporations are not to be trusted), our storytelling machine can kick in to weave together what, to our brains at least, seems like a plausible narrative that can become our reality.
Fortunately, there is a way to inoculate yourself from bad information, but it requires that you be an active participant in your news consumption. Not a passive feeder, but an active reader.
A few years ago I wrote a column for Sudbury.com on evaluation information on the internet. Those tips still apply today. So, below, are Eight Tips For Deciding If What I’m Reading Is BS.
I hope you find it useful.
Don’t just read the headline
With so much news consumption taking place on social media, many people aren’t reading beyond the headline before deciding to Like or Share. Stop doing that. Read the whole article first.
Have you heard of the news outlet before?
If you haven’t, you’ve good reason to be skeptical. There are countless outfits with newsy-sounding names that make boatloads of money off online advertising by inventing stories designed to be Liked and Shared, but which have no basis in reality. See what other kinds of stories that outlet has covered and how they’ve covered it. If the coverage is conspiratorial or severely slanted, be skeptical. The most successful news outlets are successful not because they write good headlines, but because they have a history of credibility. They employ real journalists who take their job (and their role in society) seriously.
Read the About section
The About section is exactly that: A description of who the publisher is, who it serves and what it does. Fake news websites often are designed to look like a legitimate news source, but the About section usually clarifies whether the published material is “for entertainment purposes only.” If you see that, you know you’re looking at fake news. If there is no About section for the news source you’re reading, move on. There’s a pretty good chance what you’re reading is nonsense.
Take a look at the domain name
All websites end in a suffix (like .com or .org or .ca). Usually you can tell the country of origin from that domain (.ca is for Canada, for instance, while .ru is for Russia). Often, fake news sites have a newsy sounding name with an unfamiliar domain. Google the news source to see what else comes up.
What are the sources?
Real news stories tell you where the information comes from and who said it. Fake news sources don’t always do that. Or if they do, the source might not be real. Google is your friend here again. Google the author, google the names of the people quoted and the organizations listed.
Explosive news that no one else is covering
If you read a story that makes incredible claims, but no mainstream news organization is covering it, be skeptical. Don’t assume there’s a conspiracy afoot to bury the story. Let me tell you, journalists are a competitive breed. We want to beat the competition, not collude with them. If you read an explosive national or international story that wasn’t covered by the Globe and Mail or CBC, or you read an explosive local news story (‘Adam Sandler is moving to Sudbury’) and your local news outlet like Sudbury.com isn’t reporting on it, you have good reason to be skeptical.
Don’t rely on one news source
If you’re only getting your news from one news source, broaden your scope. Read the same story from several outlets. You’ll get a much better, more reliable picture of the issue that way.
You’re smart — trust your common sense
If you read a story claiming a COVID-19 is caused by cellular signals or Donald Trump is made of cheese, stop and reflect. Why hasn’t anyone else covered this story? If such a story could be corroborated, mainstream news outlets would be all over it. If they aren’t, there’s probably a reason for that.
Happy reading.
