User:Spergg1991/sandbox

Evaluation of a Wikipedia Article

2019–20 Australian bushfire season

EXCELLENT REVIEW OF AN ARTICLE

ASSIGNMENT 3: EDIT OF AN ARTICLE

Media coverage of climate change has had effects on public opinion on climate change, as it mediates the scientific opinion on climate change that the global temperature has increased in recent decades and that the trend is mainly caused by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases. Almost all scientific bodies of national or international standing agree with this view, although a few organisations hold non-committal positions.

Climate change communication research frequently studies the effectiveness of that media. Some researchers and journalists believe that media coverage of political issues is adequate and fair, while a few feel that it is biased. However, most studies on media coverage of the topic are neither recent nor concerned with coverage of environmental issues. Moreover, they are only rarely concerned specifically with the question of bias.

Despite recent trends in increased coverage on climate change, media coverage is not constant, and researchers wonder if the current increase in attention will be sustained.

MY EDIT

Media coverage on climate change has the power to effect public opinion on climate change. Its role is to mediate the scientific opinion that the global temperature has increased recent years, as a result of human-induced emissions of greenhouse gasses. A large body of scientific evidence support this notion, however, some researchers and journalists believe that media coverage of political issues is adequate and fair, while some believe it is biased.

EDIT STRONG IMPROVEMENT.

ASSIGNMENT 4

Fake news - I will be writing a page on social media and fake news, which will act as a link from the 'fake news' page I have linked. It will focus on how social media has amplified the problem of fake news and what could be done about it.

 SOCIAL MEDIA 

Fake news, also referred to as ‘disinformation’ can be characterised as false or inaccurate information that has been spread to intentionally mislead and/or deceive individuals. One way in which the spread of fake news is amplified, is through social media platforms. Social media is internet-based technology that enables individuals to create and share content or participate in social networking. Social media is a popular way for people to seek information and consume news online, examples include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google, and Instagram. Social media has transformed the way we communicate and how we express our thoughts and emotions, and there are now many ways for individuals to make their views known. In 2019 both Google and Facebook dominated the overall digital advertising space in Australia. Within these social media platforms, news is automatically selected and presented to individuals through algorithmically driven software. Fake news can have a negative impact on individuals and society as it intentionally persuades consumers to accept false beliefs that are shared to benefit specific agendas. Because of social medias minimal regulation and efficiency in distributing news online, large amounts of disinformation such as fake news is generated online.

Financial and Political Gains

These online news articles are produced for a range of purposes, from political to financial gains. For example, the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire emergency exploded on social media, as misinformation spread through online platforms posts. Several tweets related to the fires exaggerated police figures and claimed that almost 200 arsonists had been arrested over the fires in NSW. Another article posted by an American far-right figure claimed that left-wing environmental terrorists were responsible for lighting the fires. This article had been shared almost 100,000 times across Facebook, Twitter and Reddit and reached an estimate 2.8 million accounts. Misinformation over the bushfires shifts the conversation and blame away from Australia’s inaction on climate change. In many cases the most popular fake news has been most widely spread on Facebook than mainstream news during the U.S. 2016 presidential election, and in the ongoing political divisions and crises that have followed. A substantial number of US residents were exposed to false stories published through social media prior to the election, and post-election surveys suggest that those who read the stories believed them to be true. These examples demonstrate how social media platforms are commonly used to spread misinformation for the political and financial gains of individuals in a position of power.

Algorithms and Metric Data

Algorithms are mathematical formulations created by human beings to drive automated decisions, and consequently have a major influence over the news individuals are exposed to on their devices. While some social media platforms have announced action to limit their spread of fake news, these companies still have the power to manipulate users by using algorithms that encourage addiction to their platforms. As a result, they have the capability to shape individuals’ decisions and beliefs, giving those who design the algorithms an unfair position of power. Reich (2017) explains that the harms of new technology will mostly be experienced by those already disadvantaged in society, and most people in positions of privilege will find these tools convenient, safe, and useful. Additionally, social media platforms function as a type of personal record that gather metric data to target users with advertisements. Metrics is any data that is used to provide some type of measure to society; they are a prominent and powerful part of the governance of contemporary life. A study conducted in 2020 showed that disinformation sources are most highly retweeted or shared from a small group of users that actively engage with the sources regularly. This demonstrates that the spread of information is no longer only driven by information actors publishing content on social media, but also by the audience that interacts with it.

Future of Social Media

According to Beer (2016) the current scale of metrics in everyday life has escalated, and this is due to the driving force of neoliberalism. Neoliberalism has been described by Jodi Dean (2009) as "the reformatting of social and political life in terms of its ideal of competition within markets". Competition and markets need metrics, and measurement is needed for the variations required by competition. Finding a solution that will work to prevent the spread of misinformation will not be successful from just one person, it is a collaborative process. One way in which the spread of fake news through social media can be reduced is by breaking up and regulating large technology monopolies such as Twitter, Facebook and Google, as their combined power and influence make competition difficult. This monopoly in the information sector is a serious threat to all democracies health. [ NOBLE ARGUES THAT The delivery of false information that claims to be credible news, and the consequences that come from algorithmically driven information, demonstrates why government regulation is needed on the progressively neoliberal, privatised web. [AN AUSTRALIAN BOADCASTING COMMISSION DOCUMENTARY PRESENTED EVIDENCE TO CLAIM THAT Furthermore, it is ultimately the responsibility of the technology companies to ensure their platforms are not being used to spread fake news or propaganda. Journalism organisations also have the potential to influence the spread of disinformation as part of their role is to find, check and distribute news. Individuals using social media platforms are also influencers within their own social network, which is why it is important that there is effective and reliable educational platforms to assist with digital literacy.