| 00:00:00 | THANKS VERY MUCH. |
| 00:00:03 | SO I'M HERE WEARING A FEW HATS. |
| 00:00:06 | I MAY RECOVER IN FACT CHECKER. |
| 00:00:07 | I USED TO BE ONE OF THE EDITORS ON THE WEBSITE INSANITY. |
| 00:00:12 | I'M A POLITICAL SCIENTIST AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE AND A BLOG OR AT THE COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW WHERE I WRITE ABOUT THE COVERAGE OF MISINFORMATION TO READ AND AGREE TO TRY TO BRING ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS OF WORK TOGETHER FOR YOU TODAY AND BRIEFLY OUTLINE HOW I THINK JOURNALISTS CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF COVERING THE MISINFORMATION IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T INADVERTENTLY REINFORCE THE THIS PERSON IS WHAT THE REPORTERS ARE TRYING TO DEBUNK. |
| 00:00:39 | THE BEST PLACE TO START WITH THAT IS TO SAY THAT IT'S ESSENTIAL WITH THE COVERAGE EMPHASIZES THE FACT IS AND SINCE A TRUSTEE BUT RATHER THAN FALLS INTO THIS IS ALL THE LINES OF WHAT EMILY WAS SAYING SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT THE TRUTH IN THE FOREGROUND BECAUSE THE CLAIMS CAN BECOME FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE AS YOU COVER THEM EVEN IF YOU SAY IT ISN'T TRUE AND IT'S IN EFFECT THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN IN THE CYCLE WOULD DISCUSS ECOLOGY LITERATURE AS THEY BECOME FAMILIAR WE BECOME LIKELY TO THINK THEY ARE TRUE VIRTUE OF THEIR FAMILIARITY. |
| 00:01:15 | IF WE KEEP REPEATING THESE CLAIMS OVER AND OVER AFTER A WHILE PEOPLE START TO SAY MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING TO THAT. |
| 00:01:24 | IT'S OUT THERE. |
| 00:01:25 | PEOPLE ARE STILL THINKING THIS. |
| 00:01:27 | MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING TO IT AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES IN THE COVERAGE OF THE CAMPAIGN BUT IT'S A PROBLEM THAT CROPS UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND A SUBSET OF THAT IS THIS PROBLEM OF NAVIGATION M LEE MENTIONED AT THE END OF HER TALK. |
| 00:01:42 | SO IT IS MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE TO SAY BARACK OBAMA WAS BORN IN THIS COUNTRY THAN IT IS TO SAY BARACK OBAMA WAS NOT BORN IN KENYA. |
| 00:01:53 | USE A BARACK OBAMA WASN'T BORN IN KENYA ENOUGH TIMES, YOU START TO YEAR I READ SOMETHING ABOUT THAT OBAMA BEING BORN IN KENYA. |
| 00:02:01 | OUR BRAINS HAVE A TOUGH TIME TURNING OFF INFORMATION, JUST PUTTING THEM OFF IN FRONT OF THE STATEMENT OR SAYING IT IS FALSE ISN'T ENOUGH. |
| 00:02:09 | IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO SET THOSE AFFECTS AND EMILY'S EXPERIMENT IS ONE ILLUSTRATION OF THAT. |
| 00:02:16 | THERE IS A WHOLE LITERATURE THAT SHOWS HOW TOUGH A TIME WE HAVE FOUND HUMAN BEINGS. |
| 00:02:25 | ANOTHER PROBLEM I WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO IS WHAT IS OFTEN CALLED HE SAID SHE SAID REPORTING. |
| 00:02:33 | TREATING THE MISS STATEMENTS AS SIMPLE MATTERS OF OPINION, DISPUTES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. |
| 00:02:39 | THE SKY IS BLUE OR PURPLE, WHO KNOWS AND WE SEE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COVERAGE. |
| 00:02:44 | JOURNALISM HAS MADE PROGRESS IN THIS AREA IN THE TIME AT LEAST SINCE I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED BUT THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO AND THAT SORT OF SHE SAID SHE SAID COVERAGE HAS TWO PROBLEMS. |
| 00:02:56 | FIRST, IT MAY INCREASE THE FAMILIARITY OF THE CLAIMS BUT SECOND, A VERY PERVERSE INCENTIVES FOR POLITICIANS WHO KNOW THEY CAN MAKE FALSE CLAIMS AND WHILE OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE FIRST PANEL MAY CALL THEM OUT A LOT OF OTHER REPORTERS RECENTLY COVER IT AS A MATTER OF OPINIONS AND A SIMPLE PARTISAN DISPUTES. |
| 00:03:19 | ONE LAST RECOMMENDATION BEFORE I SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES, IT ARGUED FOR WHAT I CALL NAMING AND SHAMING WHICH IS A WAY TO TRY TO REVERSE SOME OF THE REPUTATION ALL INCENTIVES FOR THE POLITICIANS AND PUNDITS. |
| 00:03:31 | IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE JOURNALISTS I THINK TO CALL OUT POLITICIANS AND COMMENTATORS WHO MAKE FALSE CLAIMS FROM THAT IDENTIFY THEM AND SAY THIS IS A NORMATIVE VIOLATION OF THE STANDARDS OF PUBLIC DEBATE AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE DON'T SEE ENOUGH OF. |
| 00:03:48 | IT'S AWKWARD FOR SOME JOURNALISTS TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT SEEMS NONOBJECTIVE BUT THERE IS AN ETHICAL AND A NORMATIVE CASE FOR THAT SORT OF JOURNALISM WITHIN THE REALM OF THAT SO-CALLED OBJECTIVE REPORTING. |
| 00:04:01 | NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. |
| 00:04:04 | >> HERE IS IN A SAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO. |
| 00:04:08 | I HATE TO PICK ON OUR FRIENDS AT POLITICO BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO EASY SOMETIMES WHEN WE TO DO SO ANYWAY. |
| 00:04:14 | THEY HAVE WONDERFUL REPORTERS AND THEY HAVE SOME WORK THAT MABEY ISN'T SO STRONG AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE LATTER. |
| 00:04:21 | THIS IS AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY WILL MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF CLAIMING TO HAVE DISCOVERED EVIDENCE PRESIDENT OF HAMAS BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS FALSE BACK IN MARCH. |
| 00:04:34 | IT'S BEEN WIDELY DEBUNKED BY YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT FROM THE WAY THE STORY WAS COVERED. |
| 00:04:39 | IF YOU LOOK AT THE HEADLINE IN THE FIRST FIVE PARAGRAPHS OF THE STORY YOU SEE THE REPORTER LEADING OUT IN A PRETTY UNQUESTIONINGLY THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS FECUND GOES THROUGH THE WHOLE CASE. |
| 00:04:54 | ONLY IN THE SEVENTH PARAGRAPH IS THE REPORTER GET AROUND TO SAYING THIS HAS BEEN WIDELY DEBUNKED CRITICS OF THE AVERAGE READER THAT IS AND READING THESE THINGS LIKE A SCHOLAR IS MAYBE GOING TO COME AWAY WITH THE WRONG IMPRESSION AND THAT SETTING ASIDE THE FOLKS COMING TO THIS WITH A STRONG DISPOSITION AGAINST OBAMA SUSCEPTIBLE TO THESE TYPE OF PROBLEMS. |
| 00:05:22 | NEXT SLIDE. |
| 00:05:23 | WHAT IS A BETTER APPROACH? |
| 00:05:25 | THIS IS A CNN STORY ON LINE THAT I LIKE VERY MUCH. |
| 00:05:28 | THIS IS REPORTING ON A POLL ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PLACE OF BIRTH IN 2010. |
| 00:05:35 | WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT IS THE PRODUCER THAT WROTE THE STORY PUT GIANT IMAGES OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND A CONTEMPORANEOUSLY ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE TOP OF THE STORY SO THERE IS ALMOST NO WAY YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS WITHOUT BEING CONFRONTED WITH DRAMATIC VISUAL EVIDENCE PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN FACT BORN IN THIS COUNTRY AND HE GOES ON TO DISCUSS THE CONTROVERSY AND PUBLIC BELIEVE AS A CONSPIRACY THEORY SO IT IS A MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE FRAME OF COVERAGE AND ONE THAT IS LIKELY TO BE EFFECTIVE. |
| 00:06:05 | NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. |
| 00:06:08 | HERE IS ANOTHER A SAMPLE OF WHAT I THINK JOURNALISTS SHOULD TRY TO AVOID. |
| 00:06:14 | THIS IS THE ORIGINAL HUFFINGTONPOST. |
| 00:06:16 | COM ORIE ABOUT SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID SAYING THAT MITT ROMNEY HASN'T PAID TAXES IN TEN YEARS WHICH WAS UNSUPPORTED HERE SAY FROM ONE ANONYMOUS SOURCE. |
| 00:06:27 | THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT IS VERIFIABLE TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM BUT IF YOU READ THE STORY IS NARRATING THE CLEAN AND VERY DIRECT WAY. |
| 00:06:36 | IN THE HEAD LINE AND INTO WHOLE LEAD IN THE STORY AND ITS LEADER THAT THE JOURNALISTS GET AROUND TO MENTIONING THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO VERIFY. |
| 00:06:49 | TO VISUALLY HIGHLIGHT HOW MUCH OF THE STORY IS REPEATING A FALSE CLAIM AND HOW LITTLE WAS POINTING OUT PROBLEMS. |
| 00:06:55 | LET ME GIVE YOU A CONTRAST THAT IS A BETTER APPROACH. |
| 00:06:59 | THIS IS A MCCLATCHY STORY WHERE IT'S MUCH MORE ABOUT THE DEBATE AND THE CONTEXT AND LESS ABOUT THE CHARGES MADE BUT IT'S WORTH NOTING IN GREEN HOW MUCH OF THE STORY IS EMPHASIZING THE TRUTH AND CALLING INTO QUESTION THE CLAIMS MADE. |
| 00:07:20 | WE CAN'T SAY WHAT ROMNEY DID OR DIDN'T DO THAT THERE IS NO VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE ON THE TABLE TO SUPPORT THE CLAIMS AND THE STORY PUTS THAT IN THE FOREGROUND AND MINIMIZE THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT REPEATS OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHICH CAN BE A MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE APPROACH BUT IT'S ONE THAT WE DON'T SEE AS OFTEN AS I WOULD LIKE. |
| 00:07:43 | NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. |
| 00:07:46 | NAVY AND SHAMING. |
| 00:07:47 | ONE OF MY FAVORITES. |
| 00:07:48 | THIS IS A "LOS ANGELES TIMES" HEADLINE COVERING THE WELFARE ATTACK THE FIRST PANEL DISCUSSED REPEATED BY RICK SANTORUM OF THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION. |
| 00:08:01 | THIS CLUB GOT A LOT OF PLAY IN THE BLOGOSPHERE BECAUSE PEOPLE FOUND A VERY REFRESHING THAT THE TIMES WAS RUNNING TO RECALL WHAT SANTORUM TO SAY THAT IT WAS INACCURATE SO IT DOESN'T SAY REPEAT WELFARE ATTACK CALLED INACCURATE BY FACT CHECKERS OR CONTROVERSIAL WELFARE CLAIM. |
| 00:08:23 | THERE IS NO PUNCH PULLING ON THEIR RACE, VERY DIRECT. |
| 00:08:27 | THIS IS A PERSON MAKING A CLAIM AND IT IS INACCURATE. |
| 00:08:31 | THIS IS THE KIND OF COVERAGE WE DON'T OFTEN SEE BUT IT'S QUITE POWERFUL AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE POLITICIANS THINK TWICE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT ON THE FIRST PANEL TO WE WANT TO GO OVER THIS LINE. |
| 00:08:48 | FACT CHECKING ISN'T MAGIC. |
| 00:08:50 | JOURNALISM CAN'T COMPLETELY REVERSE THE INCENTIVES POLITICIAN'S FACE BUT ON THE MARGIN IT CAN BE QUITE EFFECTIVE. |
| 00:09:00 | NEXT SLIDE. |
| 00:09:02 | WHAT ELSE CONSTRUCTIVELY CAN THE JOURNALISTS TO? |
| 00:09:05 | THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THAT MIGHT BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL TO THE REPORTERS. |
| 00:09:15 | YOU DON'T WRITE YOUR OWN HEAD LINES. |
| 00:09:19 | UAV DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER WHETHER YOU CAN GET A LORAIN LIKE THAT INTO YOUR PUBLICATION BUT WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL AS WHO YOU TALK TO SO IT'S AN ABC NEWS STORY IN 2009 AFTER SARAH PALIN MADE THE ORIGINAL THAT PANEL PLAN BY KATE SNOW AND SOME OF HER COLLEAGUES AND WHAT I LIKE THAT THE STORY IS THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE CONSENSUS THAT THE CLAIM WAS FALSE AND ITS EXPERTS DEBUNK THE CLAIM AND DOCTORS AGREE AND IN PARTICULAR IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH THEY MAKE IT A POINT OF SAYING EVEN HEALTH CARE EXPERTS WHO DISAGREE WITH OBAMA'S PLAN BELIEVE THE DEATH PANEL CLAIM IS FALSE SO IMAGINE SOMEONE READING THIS WHO DOESN'T LIKE OBAMA AND DOESN'T LIKE THE HEALTH CARE PLAN IT'S EMPHASIZING SOMEONE LIKE YOU SHARES YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE PLAN AND THAT EXPERT AGREES IT'S FALSE TO READ THIS IS LIKELY TO BE MUCH MORE PERSUASIVE THAN THE KIND OF BACK-AND-FORTH DEMOCRATS SAY THIS, REPUBLICANS SAY THAT SORT OF COVERAGE FROM THE STATE. |
| 00:10:20 | WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO BRUCE PEERY [APPLAUSE] |
| 00:10:33 | >> THANK |
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