Information of any kind can be powerful. In this extended blog post, I will examine how misinformation and social media unfortunately can go hand in hand. Misinformation is a term described as ‘false information that is spread, regardless of intent to mislead’ (Dictionary.com, 2020). Misinformation happens to almost everyone, and can occur almost daily. But what happens when this misinformation is read, spread or accessed from social media? The emergence of technology has meant misinformation is spread faster than ever before, and with more real consequences.
It is part of the role of an information professional to help their users, and society as a whole, to successfully identify, avoid and deter the propagation of misinformation to better their community in attempting to understand how something like misinformation can seriously impact their social and ethical wellbeing. The ongoing growth of social networking and media in todays digital landscape is perhaps the biggest opportunity for the spread of misinformation. In a society where any person with access to social media can create a platform and subsequently spread unverified information, social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok are the perfect tools for not only instant satisfaction and rapid circulation of information, but also add to the spread of misinformation (Lee, 2012, p. 104).
Furthermore, with the emergence of using social media professionally and for business (Bawden & Robinson, 2012, p. 146), the dangers of what someone puts on their personal, seemingly private profile may not stay private. As mentioned in my previous blog post ‘OLJ Task 15’, creating and curating your online identity can leave a positive or negative digital footprint for years to come. Spreading false information, even unintentionally or by mistake, could potentially have lasting consequences and impact on self-presentation later in life in regard to employment and/or identity, life transitions and professional situations (Brandtzaeg & Chaparro-Domínguez, 2019, pp. 158-170).
So what can information professionals actively do to try and control the creation and spread of misinformation? Information professionals have an ethical obligation to society to promote critical thinking skills among the wider community as well as advocate for the safe and intelligent use of social media. However, this is much easier said than done due to the accessibility and rapid continuous growth of social media. Batchelor (2017, p. 144) states that one of the best ways an information professional can attempt to stem the spread of misinformation and counteract the ramifications of an uninformed population is to continuously adapt to societies new approaches of obtaining and spreading information.
Most recently, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the spread of ‘fake news’ and information, either deliberately i.e. disinformation, or through misinformation as a result of society not being able to identify trustworthy sources of health information. As mentioned in my previous blog post, ‘OLJ Task 9’, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Twitter feed endeavours to re-tweet information that is from authoritative, credible sources that are scholarly in nature or have been throughly fact checked or peer-reviewed by relevant sources. Re-tweeting authoritative information on COVID-19 and other helpful information on possible online scams or fake profiles is a way in which information professionals are actively attempting to embrace their roles on the front line and employ key efforts to help protect societies wellbeing (ALIA, 2021).
Furthermore, during the height of the pandemic, libraries in Australia rallied to ensure they continued to serve their communities and remain relevant throughout the imposed closures. This was done through the adoption of more digital resources than ever before, with libraries offering innovative virtual services like online activities, programs and a larger range of ebook titles. Public and State Libraries, as well as ALIA, utilised the connection social media provides to update their users across Australia of new library services, as well as information on service cancellations, reductions and library closures (Kosciejew, 2020, p. 10).
Additionally, to ensure information professionals and libraries are repositories of openly accessible, accurate and timely information, as well as able to provide education on how best to navigate a world rife with misinformation, ALIA provides training in the form of a 4 week course which will guide information professionals through the background to the current crisis, as well at how libraries are practically approaching the ongoing issue (ALIA, 2021).
A large amount of people conducting research or wanting to know queries like ‘Current NSW COVID-19 restrictions’ will start their hunt for information on a major search engine, usually Google or Yahoo. However, searches on these engines yield thousands of results, often not populated in a perfect order of relevance (Hider, 2021). Unsurprisingly, social media is also quickly becoming societies primary news source, with 62% of Facebook users stating that they rely on the social media platform for news alerts and stories (Alvarez, 2016, p. 25). I can personally relate, as watching ‘the news’ on television is not a daily occurrence for myself, rather preferring to read articles and receive alerts on my iPhone.
One way in which information professionals can help their users to identify misinformation and ‘fake news’ is by providing an online or in-library information literacy program. One such example of this, is the C.R.A.P test. This test employs a checklist style way to evaluate sources based on a set of criteria: Currency, Reliability, Authority, and Purpose. It is one of the more simplistic forms a user can employ to discern whether or not the information they are viewing is credible. It can be used and applied in many different situations to determine validity, having used it myself on several occasions. An example of the C.R.A.P test is available for students of Charles Sturt University through the lib guide ‘EML102 Research Skills Guide’ (CSU, 2021). A more interactive style for users is the ‘Reality Check’ game, which provides users with the (free!) opportunity to test their skills and learn new authentication techniques.
Overall, the use of social media brings with it a plethora of both positive and negative characteristics. For information professionals, using social media can allow for greater transparency of information, greater accountability for your organisation, and a more intermingled, interconnected relationship between professionals and their users. I have learnt largely that it also creates an important, beneficial opportunity for users of online services to add value back to the service through feedback and interaction with their librarians (Gerts & Chan, 2018). Looking towards the future, we as information professionals must ensure we are cognisant of to the many dangers it can bring as well, such as misinformation.
Photo by Monster Ztudio/ Shutterstock
References
Alajmi, B. M., & Albudaiwi, D. (2020). Response to COVID-19 pandemic: Where do public libraries stand? Public Library Quarterly, 1-17.
ALIA. (2021). Information & misinformation: Literacies and libraries. Australian Library and Information Association. https://membership.alia.org.au/events/event/information-misinformation-literacies-and-libraries
Batchelor, O. (2017). Getting out the truth: the role of libraries in the fight against fake news. Reference Services Review, 143-148. https://doi.org/10.1108/rsr-03-2017-0006
Brandtzaeg, P. B., & Chaparro-Domínguez, M. (2019). From youthful experimentation to professional identity: Understanding identity transitions in social media. YOUNG, 28(2), 157-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1103308819834386
Burton, S. (2019). Future skills for the LIS profession. Online Searcher, 43(2), 42-45.
Charles Sturt University. (2021). Library guides: EML102 research skills guide: CRAP test. Library Guides at Charles Sturt University. https://libguides.csu.edu.au/EML102/CRAP-test
Dictionary.com. (2020, August 3). “Misinformation” vs. “disinformation”: Get informed on the difference. https://www.dictionary.com/e/misinformation-vs-disinformation-get-informed-on-the-difference/
Gerts, C & Chan, C. (2018). The Social Life of Information. In: Information and Society [INF506 Modules, Module 2]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_54940_1&content_id=_4192559_1&mode=reset
Hider, P. (2021). Search Engines. In Tools and Systems [INF425 Modules, Module 7]. Retrieved from Charles Sturt University website: https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_54925_1&content_id=_4166562_1
Kosciejew, M. (2020). The coronavirus pandemic, libraries and information: A thematic analysis of initial international responses to COVID-19. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/gkmc-04-2020-0041
Lee, N. (2012). Misinformation and Disinformation. Facebook Nation, pp. 103-113. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5308-6_9
Obinyan, O. O. (2020). Application of mobile technologies in library service delivery. In A. Tella (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Digital Devices for Inclusivity and Engagement in Libraries. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-9034-7.ch019
Orzechowski, V. (2017). #NoFilter: Social media content ideas for libraries [blog post]. LITA Blog. http://litablog.org/2017/01/nofilter-social-media-content-ideas-for-libraries/