A State Department video caught my eye today. “How to spot disinformation” gives five tips to recognize disinformation in one’s news feed. The video fleshes out each of the tips, which are:
- Identify the sources
- Look beyond the headline
- Recognize satire
- Check the references
- Consider your own bias
The International Information Programs Bureau has produced this video in several languages, including Russian. The video is just a drop in a stream of programming, which you’ll see on ShareAmerica, where U.S. overseas missions get a lot of the material they transmit to local audiences. This is not intended for the public in the U.S., but rather for the rest of the world.
It feeds into a stream of programs mounted by public diplomacy staffers: public lectures, journalist training sessions, and longer-term educational exchanges aimed at the plague of today’s digital media.
Such a practical piece belongs on our blog, don’t you think?
Joe B. Johnson consults on government communication and technology after a career in the United States Foreign Service and seven years in the private sector. He is an instructor for the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where he teaches strategic planning for public diplomacy. Read More
