Screen grab from snazzy new video from @EU_Commission and @eu_eeas on disinformation
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 24, 2019
Really not very helpful it, more than a year after High-Level Group recommended abandoning misleading+harmful term "fake news", still relies on it, and combines it w/dodgy use of survey data 1/4 pic.twitter.com/qr7T7aypCl
1) The term "fake news" is misleading because much disinformation is neither fake nor news, and harmful because it helps undercut trust in actual news.
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 24, 2019
See e.g. https://t.co/JdYg6ewyRm and https://t.co/Haip1QUjW6 2/4
2) The survey question 83% figure comes from DOES NOT ASK ABOUT "FAKE NEWS" but much broader Q whether "news or information the misrepresent reality or is even false" is a problem. (And I have pointed this out before, see e.g. https://t.co/aPiOmS1yr8) 3/4
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 24, 2019
Below is how @EurobarometerEU and @EU_Commission tweet that figure (and on that basis journalists in a hurry and others thus can't really be blamed if they use figure in similar way). pic.twitter.com/D17UShrAEp
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
Why is that concerning? Because, according to the data annex released so far, respondents aren't actually asked about "fake news" till the very end (Q5), after the question (Q4.2) that the 83% figure is based on. https://t.co/0Zl33Z0MbC
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
What ARE people actually asked about in Q4.2? "In your opinion, is the existence of news or information that misrepresent reality or is even false a problem for democracy in general", w/four-point scale and don't know. (Had I been polled, I'd have responded "Yes, to some extent")
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
That's a very broad question that risk conflating different things. Why? Because we know from much audience research that the perception that actually existing journalism (and mainstream politicians) often "misrepresent reality" is a key factor in low trust in news (and politics)
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
See e.g. 1) "Becoming the News" by @ruthiepalmer https://t.co/17BBDKMjpL, 2) "Bias, Bullshit and Lies: Audience Perspectives on Low Trust" in the Media by @nicnewman and @dragz https://t.co/MnOQSMDo63, or 3)
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
'“News you don’t believe” by @gravesmatter and me.
From the data annex, it is only AFTER respondents have answered four Qs about "news or information that misrepresent reality or is even false" that they are simply told, Oh, by the way, "News or information that misrepresent reality or that are even false are called “fake news”".
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
This clarification is not, however, preface to asking them about fake news,but to question "Which of the following institutions and media actors should act to stop the spread of “fake news”?" (So from documentation released, @EurobarometerEU hasn't actually asked about fake news)
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
So,for example,given many feel "misrepresenting reality" is problem of NEWS, not surprising that 45%, of EU28 respondents say that JOURNALISTS should act to stop spread of fake news.Whereas only 26% name online social networks (who have much to answer for) https://t.co/f7MrsQQsY0 pic.twitter.com/M2RThzSOta
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
</nerd rant>
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 15, 2018
Find it frustrating and disappointing that after year+ of private meetings, public dicussions, and reams of expert input our tax money is being used in such a clumsy & counter-productive way. Those who care about quality of public debate should not be muddying waters this way 4/4
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 24, 2019
The video is here: https://t.co/Bp9XVcsRVh
— Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (@rasmus_kleis) March 24, 2019