Egypt's Sisi urges debt cost cuts, tighter fiscal discipline, enhanced social justice    EGP swings vs. USD in early Sunday trade    EGX launches 1st phone app    Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



The Paris attacks: a reminder of social media's power to misinform
Published in Daily News Egypt on 16 - 11 - 2015

The events of November 13 in Paris are a stark reminder of both the power of social media and its significant pitfalls. Following the tweets on Friday night, it was hard to tell what to believe or feel.
As is often the case after terrorist events like the multi-pronged attack in Paris on Friday, November 13, there have been a number of articles praising social media for its ability to get the news out – and get it out quick.
And there is no doubt: When people, stuck in the midst of an attack, start tweeting or posting on Facebook, it's often the first that journalists hear of an incident.
This is the technology we now wield. We no longer need to rely on the authorities to tell us whether loved ones are well – they can tell us directly, as some did using Facebook's Safety Check function.
Others alerted the world to what was happening at the Bataclan and in other Parisian neighborhoods via Twitter. And we've seen outpouring of grief and support since.
Social media connects us, creates a world community around us. It can be a powerful tool, but a dangerous one too.
Many – no doubt far removed from the events in Paris – seemed unable to resist the urge to chime in, and their contributions remind how fast misinformation spreads on social media.
It often starts with the death toll, with people citing all kinds of numbers. But on Friday, it was tweets about Calais – not Paris – that got me feeling anxious.
The most notable examples popped up on my feed at about 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, citing this fire at "the jungle," a migrant camp at Calais, in western France.
Evidence? Really?
Very quickly there was talk of its being a revenge attack.
Some questioned the source of the information. Well done to you. And there was talk of people posting old photos of a fire at "the jungle" or perhaps from elsewhere.
Then Donald Trump cropped up for some reason and things started to get totally out of hand.
Others used the Calais fire as a means to fuel their anger or hate. And if you scroll through the reams of comments, you very quickly pick up on the confusion: Was there a fire? Yes, there was. No, there wasn't. Oh, yes, there was, but it was an accident, not arson. What about this video I've got – is it fake?
You could argue that social media has a self-correcting nature – that when enough people spot false information, it gets argued about until one user either blocks the other, or people simply move on and the claim in question expires. Certainly that's what can happen when the original act of misinformation is unintentional.
But there have also been intentional attempts at misinformation, including one example featuring Canada-based Sikh, Veerender Jubbal.
An apparently photoshopped image makes it look as though Jubbal is holding a copy of a holy book, while wearing a bomb-vest – when the original shows him holding an iPad as he takes a selfie in a bathroom.
Caution is definitely required during terrible events such as last week's Paris attacks.
But also a moment to reflect: Psychologists have commented that authorities were able to prevent panic breaking out at Friday's France-Germany friendly football match in Paris, attended by French President François Hollande and Germany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
So how did the authorities do it? They controlled the speed at which spectators learned about attacks from elsewhere in the city.
And speed is a key point. Social media is faster than fast. We react, retweet or comment often before we've even had a chance to digest the unfolding events.
But we should give ourselves that time. Out of respect to others and ourselves. Especially when we're nowhere near the scene.


Clic here to read the story from its source.