Fighting fake news in Casablanca
Over 40 Moroccan journalists and technologist came together for the first Hacks/Hackers event in Morocco, to discuss solutions to misinformation online.
When we were coming up with a topic for the first Hacks/Hackers event in Morocco, which took place last October in Casablanca, there was one subject we knew would draw a good crowd. With an evening of discussions planned around The truth about fake news, we brought together Moroccan journalists and technologists to talk about how to fight the growing phenomenon of online fakery that is affecting the democratic process locally and globally.
At this inaugural Hacks/Hackers Casablanca (#HHCAS), we introduced the participants to a set of free tools designed to help journalists, newsrooms and readers make a sense of the information in the cyberspace.
What is fake news?
Starting with the premise that we can’t fight what we don’t understand, we began by trying to define fake news, differentiating between content such as Satire , Rumor Mill, Junk Science and Clickbait. Our speakers and participants shared their experience with experiences of fake news in Morocco which have affected their life.
Fake news on Facebook
While we were trying to understand how fake news affects our lives and daily decisions we couldn’t miss the chance to talk about the huge spread of fake news on Facebook during the last US presidential election, especially that Facebook has admitted publishing around 3,000 Russian-linked advertisements designed to influence the US presidential election.
In an interview with the CBS news, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg admitted that “There will always be bad actors in the world and we can’t present all movements from all interference, but we can make it harder, much harder”. Facebook plans to do this via a nine point plan that it is introducing taking to combat false information on its app.
Zuckerberg also added that Facebook will continue working on new ways to limit the circulation fake news on its social network.
BS detector extension
We also introduced the participant to an extension called BS Detector. This very simple tool cross-references your current URL with a list of known fake news sources.
There are limits to the efficacy of BS Detector. For a start it can never be completely comprehensive, and outlets in Moroccan aren’t covered. This led us to discuss the necessity of such fact checking and verification tools in Morocco.
Fake images and Google Reverse Image Search
For journalists who haven’t come across it before, we also demonstrated how to verify an image source using the Google Reverse Image Search tool using a simple technique either using the URL or uploading the image from the device.
Critical thinking: A key skill to spot fake news
Developing a strong critical thinking is the first step to spot fake news online. This can be done in several ways, but we choose to share a very easy trick with the participants to allow them to assess the information they read online .
We called the technique the Five Cs: content, credibility, construction, corroboration, compare.
To test their understanding, Hassan Nadir took attendees through a series of examples of dubious stories and asked them whether or not they thought they were true. Nadir is the president of the Moroccan Network of Investigative Journalists (MIRAJ).
Fact checking websites
One subject which was discussed in detail was the international network of fact checking websites. Many of these websites are on the frontline of trying to prevent misinformation spreading in the public domain. For the most part, however, they focus on US news or are mainly news written in English.
One thing that everyone present agreed upon is that we are in a huge need of fact checking initiatives in Morocco, as we don’t currently have any professional website or app aimed at tackling “fake news” using digital verification.
Why does fake news spread faster and stronger?
Hassan Habibi, head of the media and journalism department at University Hassan II of Casablanca, spoke about his work and the importance of understanding the purpose of fake news and its structure.
Habibi’s presentation covered psychological and social side of fake news which helps it spread faster than regular news. He explained that ‘’Rumors attract attention, evoke emotion, incite engagement, and affect our attitudes and actions’’. While giving real examples the Moroccan history which grew with us as myths to showcase that fake news have always existed and it’s not a new phenomena.
Second Hacks/Hackers Casablanca
During the closing of HHCAS we have set a date for the second meetup which will focus on how Moroccan journalists, along with developers can create new ways (websites, apps and guides) which tackles the Moroccan reality to fight fake news.
We’d love to see you there.
The worlds of hackers and journalists are coming together, as reporting goes digital and Internet companies become media empires.
Journalists call themselves “hacks,” someone who can churn out words in any situation. Hackers use the digital equivalent of duct tape to whip out code.
Hacker-journalists try and bridge the two worlds. Hacks/Hackers Africa aims to bring all these people together — those who are working to help people make sense of our world. It’s for hackers exploring technologies to filter and visualize information, and for journalists who use technology to find and tell stories. In the age of information overload and collapse of traditional business models for legacy media, their work has become even more crucial.
Code for Africa, is the continent’s largest #OpenData and civic technology initiative, recognises this and is spearheading the establishment of a network of HacksHackers chapters across Africa to help bring together pioneers for collaborative projects and new ventures.
