Ep 17. Markham Nolan: How to Separate Fact and Fiction Online
Markham Nolan: How to Separate Fact and Fiction Online is the 17th episode of the first season of TED Talks: Cyber Awe. In this episode, speaker Markham Nolan discusses the importance of being able to differentiate between real and fake information online.
Nolan, who is the managing editor of San Francisco-based digital news agency Storyful, begins by sharing his experience of watching a video of what appeared to be a peaceful protester being violently attacked by a police officer. The video quickly went viral, but as he dug deeper into the footage, Nolan realized that it had been edited to misrepresent what had really happened.
From this experience, Nolan emphasizes the need for people to be skeptical about what they see online, and to verify the information before accepting it as fact. He argues that with the rise of social media and citizen journalism, anyone can publish information online, and sometimes what is presented as truth can be far from it.
Nolan introduces a framework for how to verify information, which he calls the "verification chain". He explains that the first step is to identify the source of the information, which can often involve tracking it back to the original upload or post. The next step is to check the location and timing of the incident or event, as this can provide important context for understanding what happened. The third step is to analyze the content itself, which can involve looking for clues such as inconsistent lighting or shadows that may signify editing or manipulation. Finally, he recommends reaching out to eyewitnesses or other trusted sources who can help to corroborate or refute the information.
Throughout his talk, Nolan emphasizes that this process is not foolproof, and that even professional journalists can sometimes make mistakes in verifying information. However, he argues that by being rigorous and transparent about the verification process, we can increase our confidence in what we see online and reduce the spread of misinformation.
Overall, Markham Nolan: How to Separate Fact and Fiction Online offers an important perspective on the challenges of navigating the online landscape. Nolan's insights are particularly relevant in an era where fake news and propaganda are increasingly pervasive, and where the stakes of being misinformed can have significant consequences for individuals and societies as a whole.