b'You are Myth Taken:Fake News is All Around UsFAKE NEWS!and Thats misinformation! areall have a role to play, firstly to identify and remove fake often-used terms. But what do they mean exactly,news from the internet, and secondly, to make sure we where do they come from, andmost importantly think twice before putting something on the internet in how can we stop them?the first place.I used to think that fake news, news that is deliber- To be clear, were not good at identifying fake news. ately false, misleading, or biased, was something recentWe rely on our prehistoric brain and over thousands and inextricably linked to the internet. I couldnt haveof years, have learned to favor negative news over been more wrong. False rumors and inaccurate report- positive news. There is often a high emotional content ing have been with us for as long as there have beenin fake news, which seeks to provoke shock or anger. BY MARCEL BRUINS,people to create and spread them. Long before theAs a result, people active on social media often share Seed World Europearrival of social media, in fact right since the invention offake news unintentionally because they believe, making Editorial Director the printing press, fake news has been a part of mediainaccurate and misleading information widespread.history. But it was the development and widespreadSo, an important way to stop fake news online is use of the internet that greatly increased the ability forto promote digital media literacy among adults and literally anyone to write and quickly spread misleadingchildren, including in schools. As a first line of defence, content all over the world at the push of a button. schools play a crucial role. Teachers will need to reflect Latin America suffers especially harshly with fakehard on what exactly it is they teach, and make sure news. Latin America has one of the highest rates ofthe information they share with children is based on social media use, giving online trolls easy access topeer reviewed science, not on a teachers gut feeling huge audiences. Fake news is so common in Latinor coming from their information bubbles. I have had American politics that political campaign strategiesmy fair share of run-ins with teachers who erroneously now prioritize emotions over facts in what many politi- believe GMOs are bad, organic is pesticide free, and cal pundits call a post-truth reality. Political partiesall seed companies are evil. Most frustratingly, many of all types routinely and deliberately aim to misinformcontinue to believe this even after hearing the scientific and deceive on all kinds of topics, from health to secu- facts behind it all.rity to migration.What can you do? Well, be on the lookout. One By now we have seen numerous examples ofway of arming yourself, your children and others is by propaganda, political polarisation, and loss of publicplaying a few educational games. I have played them trust in democratic institutions, due to fake news. Wemyself and they are great fun, real eye-openers, and have seen dangerous precedents where false news ledvery informative at the same time. I guarantee, you to national uprisings, trying to topple democraticallywont be looking at news in the same way after that. elected people. Similarly, in the field of public health,Here are some websites to try: https://www.getbad-including COVID, misinformation and disinformationnews.com/en/ and https://www.goviralgame.com/en .have caused the unnecessary deaths of thousandsWhen reading news and browsing the internet, if not more. Untruthsparticularly propaganda andalways be aware. Make sure you are well equipped to disinformationplayed an important role in the lead updistinguish fake from real. You may want to check if to Russias invasion of Ukraine, and they continue to cir- your organization, and perhaps even the school of your culate strongly in both countries. If we wish to reducekids, has some sort of program in place to increase that, it is crucial that we put a halt to the creation andonline awareness, and help your colleagues and chil-spreading of such untruths. dren to better assess and verify the accuracy of online Reducing fake news will only work if we all workinformation. The gravity of fake news is often myth-togetheryou, me, companies and policy makers. Weunderstood.SW20/ SEEDWORLD.COMLATAM'