Maximize the impact of corrections by using social media tools to help corrected stories travel the same path as mistakes.
In a world where misinformation can run rampant, we often forget that the most prolific fact-checkers are news organizations themselves. It may be because corrections to news stories have historically not been given the prominent real estate they deserve. This is complicated further in a social media world where an incorrect news item can go viral, and the corrected version reaches only a fraction of that audience. But what if corrections could catch up to mistakes in our information ecosystems? The Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy recently called for news organizations to practice “radical transparency” to help increase trust within their communities. One essential element of transparency is doing corrections right. The News Co/Lab at ASU and the Kansas City Star have been working on upgrading corrections for the 21st century by using CrowdTangle to “chase” mistakes via social media. This session will take a deeper look at the process and discuss how other newsrooms can implement an upgraded correction system of their own.
Suggested Speaker(s)
- Dan Gillmor
News Co/Lab co-founder, Arizona State University