Role of Media:

Understanding the role of the media in this war is critical. We’ve put together a selection of resources and organizations dealing with this issue.

Social Media – Coming Soon.

Combatting Misinformation in the current Israel-Hamas War and in general

The war on misinformation is being fought alongside the physical war.

The main challenges are:

Unverified and Manipulated Content (verbal and visual):
  • The dissemination of unverified or manipulated content contributes to the spread of misinformation.
  • Misinformation can be unintentional (errors reported by news sites and later corrected) or deliberate.
  • This can include highly disturbing AI images of war scenes, casualties, and more.
Rapid Spread of information:
  • Misinformation spreads rapidly, distorting facts, promoting biased narratives, and intensifying tensions
Biased Sources:
  • Biased sources play a role in shaping narratives, potentially leading to a distorted understanding of the conflict. These can be anything from biased new sites, to individual influencers on social media, international organizations, local NGOs.
  • It is also helpful to know who the sources are funded by and how this may affect reporting.
Polarised Information Landscape:
  • The information landscape is very polarised, making it challenging to navigate and discern accurate information.
  • The stakes being so high, with high numbers of deaths and casualties on both sides, and an uncertain outcome, much reporting and posting is very emotional.

How to combat misinformation?

Try to verify Information:
  • Cross-check facts from multiple reliable sources and use fact-checking websites – see below.
Diversify Sources:
  • Follow reputable news outlets with a history of objective reporting.
  • Avoid sources known for bias or sensationalism.
Understand Context:
  • Develop a nuanced understanding of the historical and geopolitical context of the conflict.
Check Updates:
  • Regularly check for updates to ensure the information is current and relevant.
Verify Images and Videos:
  • Confirm the authenticity of images and videos before sharing, using tools like reverse image search.
  • Ensure that images and videos are not taken out of context or manipulated
Question Headlines:
  • Be skeptical of sensationalized headlines and emotionally charged language.
  • Read articles in full to ensure content aligns with the headline.
Promote Media Literacy:
  • Educate yourself and others on critical evaluation and identification of biases.
Engage in Constructive Dialogue:
  • Foster open and respectful discussions with diverse perspectives.
Avoid Disseminating Unverified Information:
  • Refrain from sharing unverified information on social media.
  • Be responsible in online presence, considering the impact of shared information.
Support Fact-Checking:
  • Utilize fact-checking organizations specialized in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
  • Advocate for transparency in reporting and support outlets committed to unbiased information.

Helpful Tools

Fact-checking Organisations
Snopes
IFCN - International Fact Checking Network
FactCheck.org
PolitiFact
The Washington Post Fact Checker
BBC Reality Check
AFP Fact Check
Reuters Fact Check
The Associated Press Fact Check
FactCheckEU
OpenSecrets Fact-Checking

Learn More:

MEMRI
An organisation monitoring and translating the media in the wider region.
Palestinian Media Watch
An organisation monitoring and translating the Palestinian Media.
BBC
The BBC’s own editorial guidelines journalists must uphold.
Centre For Countering Digital Hate
How to navigate online disinformation and propaganda and practicing information resilience.
Unpacked
Are you consuming social media consciously?
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