AS PART OF “INTERRUPTING BIAS”

PRESENTED BY THE TROY AREA ALLIANCE

AGAINST HATE CRIMES
APRIL 26, 2018
Sandra Svoboda, MPA, MLIS
WDET’s Special Assignments Manager (former “Bankruptcy Blogger”)
Adjunct Faculty, WSU and University of Michigan-Dearborn
Veteran Reporter and Truth Advocate
WDET’s Mission Statement
WDET is an authentic voice of Detroit.
We serve an engaged, diverse, and curious audience
through trusted news, inclusive conversations, and
cultural experiences that empower our community to
move forward.
101.9 FM, wdet.org
Truth Matters
WDET.ORG/TRUTH
But so do social media…
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
Q1: What is the No. 1
social media platform in
the United States?
ACCORDING TO PEW RESEARCH CENTER
THAT’S YOUTUBE!
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/
https://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/
 1.45 billion active users
Worldwide daily average
In March 2018
https://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/
So…tell the truth…
Q2: How much is social
media (Facebook) part
of YOUR life?
Maybe a BIG part
When your
mother calls to
ask if you’re OK
because you
haven’t played a
Facebook
Scrabble word for
48 hours…
It’s a BIG part of the
economy
FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM - WHATSAPP
Q3. Over what time period
did Facebook report nearly
$13 billion in revenue?
https://s21.q4cdn.com/399680738/files/doc_financials/2017/Q4/Q4-2017-Earnings-Presentation.pdf
Q4: What IS Facebook?
Technology Platform?

https://newsroom.fb.com/
https://newsroom.fb.com/
A Community?
Media/Publisher?
What happens on Facebook?
“Communication has become increasingly
personalized, both in the way messages are framed
and how they are shared across social networks.”

“The more active a user is, the more the user tends to
focus on a small number of news sources.”
“Anatomy of news consumption on Facebook” Schmidt et al 2017
That means what YOU
“publish” matters…
SO HOW CAN YOU FIND AND SHARE “GOOD”
INFORMATION?
WDET.ORG/TRUTH
Q5: How can you check
what you see and hear?
SOME TIPS
Three Ways to be a Fact Checker
Always check the URL

Be on high alert for inflammatory or sensational

language

What do other sites say about the source?

Check the URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
CNN.com vs. CNN-trending.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fake_news_websites
Inflammatory Language/Graphics
Indicates Bias or Point of View
Perpetuates Stereotypes
Examples:
◦ DREAMer vs. Illegal Alien
◦ Pro-Life vs. Anti-Abortion, Pro-Abortion vs. Pro-Choice
◦ Gerrymandering vs. Redistricting
Check it Out:

http://graphics.wsj.com/blue-feed-red-feed/
Red Feed, Blue Feed: Language Check

http://graphics.wsj.com/blue-feed-red-feed/#/isis
Other Sites to Check:
Check Wikipedia.org – and follow the footnotes

Google it!

Snopes.com

FactCheck.org
WDET.ORG/TRUTH
https://newseumed.org/activity/e-s-c-a-p-e-junk-news-mlbp/
Share Your Knowledge
HERE’S HOW:
Click and Read
BEFORE
You Share
Counter
Politely on
Facebook:
HOLD LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE
“The Truth Events”
ATTEND ONE, HOST ONE

WDET.ORG/TRUTH
Ferndale Area District Library
A community conversation
in January 2018 with 100
audience members.

Librarian, teacher, students,

cop, journalist, local
Facebook forum
administrator.
 Plymouth, June 21

Waterford Township, date

pending

Grosse Pointe Public Library, date

pending

Southfield Public Library, Sept. 26

Wayne State University, Oct. 25.

THE “TRUTH” EVENTS

WDET.ORG/TRUTH
Continue the Conversation:
Sandra Svoboda
313-577-4255
ssvoboda@wdet.org
@WDETSandra
WDET.org/TRUTH