By Jacob Nyongesa
Blogs continue to play a crucial role in the dissemination of information. They have changed how the public consumes information. In some instances, traditional journalism is playing catch up with blogs. Mr Alphonce Shiundu, a veteran journalist and fact-checking expert, warns against legacy media competing with citizen journalists in being the first to break stories: He warns that legacy media may end up publishing false information. “It can hurt their credibility and expose them to litigation for defamation”, says Mr Shiundu
‘Infodemic’ as defined by World Health organisation points to too much information, including false information in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increase in dissemination of myths and conspiracy theories on the origin and effects of COVID-19. According to Researchgate.net blogs have ushered in an era of citizen journalism that has forever changed the way people consume information, partly replacing traditional journalism.
Yet research shows that blogs alone are not effective in conducting information campaigns. They provide fertile ground for framing narratives since blogs’ editorial structure and operations lack robust verification protocols, spreading inaccurate information leading to misinforming and disinforming people. This pollutes the information ecosystem.
In the recent past, some media houses have fallen victim to relying on blogs as sources of their information. Sadly, the same information finds its way into the mainstream media. This should not be the case because multiple studies show that most people turn to legacy media to confirm information that they see on blogs or on social media.
What has complicated the situation in recent months is that legacy media has erected paywalls, on juicy stories, leaving bloggers as the next best source of trending information, according to Mr Shiundu.
Research done by United States International University - Africa (USIU-Africa) on social media use indicates that Kenya is among the top three countries in Africa in terms of internet access, the other two being Nigeria and Egypt. Further, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) in 2018 reported 42.2 million internet subscriptions in the country where urban users accessed the internet through mobile phones, whereas their rural counterparts relied mostly on cyber cafes. The scenario has since changed towards a more equitable urban-rural divide after mobile phone access spread exponentially.
Blogs play an important role. They also offer a virtual space where information that is ignored by mainstream media can be published. (e.g. Kahawatungu, Daily Post etc.). Blogging according to Andrew Sullivan, a polished blogger,” is “arguably the most significant media revolution since television” providing the ability to “make arguments, fast-check them and rebut them in a seamless and endless conversation”. (This is perhaps how it is in the developed world. But you know how it is here.) Now, blogs that engage in misinformation are easy to see. Below I share 10 red flags you should watch out for while consuming information from blogs.
Sensational headline: Watch out for headlines that read, you will be amazed! It will shock you! You Won't Believe What Happens Next! The Secret They Don't Want You to Know! 10 things about person x and the 11th one will shock you. This is often just a click bait.
Check your biases: Don't get tricked into believing and agreeing with information that matches your personal beliefs. Be Critical of any content that is available on any blog.
Check the dates: Often blogs may share outdated sponsored stories, is the story up to date? Does it have dates of publication online? Sometimes old news stories are ‘recycled’ on social media to appear like current news.
Be wary of the ‘Breaking news’ tag: most breaking news stories will often get the facts wrong. A delightful story with facts takes time to be discovered.
The anonymous source syndrome. Any blog that uses anonymous sources liberally is one to watch. The Code of conduct for the practice of journalism requires anonymity to be used sparingly, often only on investigative pieces that are sensitive. Even then this is done with the express authorisation of the editor.
What is the motivation? Getting to know why a story is being published is critical. Is it a sponsored story, is the author pushing a certain agenda on politics or Covid-19 vaccine, for instance? Is it an opinion?
Has it been shared elsewhere? Simply copy paste the headline of the story on google news, the more credible news outlets sharing the story the more reliable a story is. Cross reference the story with others shared online for concurrence.
Fact checkers’ opinion: The Media Observer, Africa Check and Pesa Check are local sites that check whether a story is real or fake. Sometimes it is difficult to tell whether a story is true. These sites often do the research for you, and you can find out the entire story.
Check the URL: Fake URLs attempt to look like the URLs of legitimate news outlets. Mostly they will look like the genuine URLs of reputable media houses or organisations. For instance, the following URL. BBCAfrica.com.co Do you notice anything amiss? Is this the usual BBC URL?
Use your common sense. If something sounds too good, shocking or strange to be true, it probably is.
The writer is a Communication Officer- Online at the at the Media Council of Kenya.