THE WORLD OF INFORMATION AND FAKE NEWS
Reading, getting informed, knowing has always been part of the nature of man and over the years the information channels have increased. At the basis of the correct functioning of a democratic system there is information, because only a properly informed citizen can make free decisions. In recent years we have witnessed a multiplication of information channels: from press media to radio, television and finally the web. With the advent of the Internet and social media, a window that is always focused on the world has opened, with continuous information that is constantly updated. We are continually overflooded with inputs: even a little news immediately bounces off on the ether in a short time, with a resonance that in the past would have been unthinkable. With just a click we have the answers to any question. But what are the questions? Is the information we receive always true? The problem with having so much feedback is just that, not always what we find is the answer to our questions. Misinformation and false news circulate more and more easily, an infodemic from which it is difficult to extricate oneself making it difficult to understand whether what we are reading is true or not. So how can we save ourselves from fake news? The fundamental thing is to look for the sources of a news, verify by whom it was written or if what is reported was actually said or not. You should never take someone’s quote for truth if it has been extrapolated from a larger speech, because what was said could be misrepresented if not heard in the right context. It is up to us to understand and inform ourselves, it is not enough to accept everything we read. The web has given a voice to anyone and the possibility for everyone to create false news and circulate it on the net, it is us with our research and the critical sense that we will be able to recognize them and avoid sharing them again, always relying on official sources.
How do you daily inform yourself?
Do you still read the newspapers, or do you prefer the use of the internet?