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NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 | 7
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ears. It’s a warning we would all be wise 
to heed.
Clausewitz’s metaphor of fog aptly fits 
the challenge of seeing straight in an 
information war. The current conflict 
is being waged not only between Israel 
and Hamas but also by a host of foreign 
actors, all of whom take to cyberspace 
to advance their interests. Add to this 
brew the supercharged capacities of AI 
to spew disinformation. This results in 
much more than fog, it creates a situa-
tion of near zero visibility.
Here are four guidelines for seeing 
through the fog and staying sane in the 
midst of this current information war. 
First, be honest with yourself. Can 
you really tell whether a video that 
appears in your feed is genuine foot-
age or a deep fake? Most of us can’t. If 
you’re not familiar with geolocation and 
metadata, what special powers do you 
have that make you more adept than the 
average person at distinguishing truth 
from lies? Can you be certain that the 
video claiming that the U.S. has boots 
on the ground in Gaza, viewed more 
than 700,000 times on TikTok, was actu-
ally shot in Gaza? How many viewers 
took the time to investigate the source 
before passing it on, only to learn that 
the footage came from the 2019 pullout 
of American troops from Kurdish-
controlled Northern Syria?
Second, ask yourself if the post 
that pops up in your feed is actually 
from someone in a position to know. 
Increasingly, leading commentators on 
X, formerly Twitter, earn their status 
not because of their expertise or deep 
knowledge, but because their incendiary 
messages, filled with lightning bolt emo-
jis and “breaking news” headings, have 
been elevated by Elon Musk and broad-
cast to his 160 million followers.
Before forwarding a message ask 
what its author has to lose if the mes-
sage turns out wrong. The reputation of 
someone like the BBC’s preternatural 
fact checker Shayan Sardarizadeh rests 
on being accurate and documenting his 
sources. On the other hand, scores of 
random rage merchants go from one act 
of online arson to the next, gaining fol-
lowers with each post.

Third, go beyond the headline. The 
Times fiasco is a good example why. 
Their initial headline, “Israel Strike Kills 
Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say,” 
tortures both grammar and attribution. 
As internet theorist Parker Malloy point-
ed out, had the order been switched 
starting with “Palestinians Say,” we 
would immediately be cued about the 
source and better able to weigh its possi-
ble interest. But the whole point of click-
bait headlines is to circumvent rational 
processes and engage our reptilian brain. 
Rage sells.
Fourth, if you do search for confirma-
tion, check multiple sources in a process 
known as lateral reading. Remember, 
Google is a search engine, not a truth 
engine. Its algorithms pick up on the 
slightest scent of bias in your search 
terms and will, accordingly, issue what it 
thinks you want — reliable or not. Don’t 
just click on the first result. Scan the full 
set of results and make a wise first click.
Search engine optimization, the 
process of gaming search results and 
kicking them to the top of the list, is a 
$46 billion industry, supported not just 
by advertisers but by lobby groups and, 
yes, foreign governments and non-state 
actors. If you’re unsure about an image, 
plug it into Google Lens or TinEye and 
see if it’s actually from the event you’re 
reading about or from something that 
happened years before.
Here’s the most important piece of 
advice. Take a deep breath and ask your-
self why you feel compelled to share a 
particular post. Is doing so really helping 
the cause? Or are you retraumatizing 
people who are already struggling to 
cope with grief?
It took the New York Times seven days 
to issue its correction. In the interim, 
various congresspeople retweeted the 
story, further brutalizing raw emotions. 
By the time the story was finally amend-
ed, the truth lagged miles behind. Sadly, 
only rarely, does it ever catch up. 

Sam Wineburg is the Margaret Jacks Professor of 

Education, Emeritus, at Stanford University. His lat-

est book, with co-author Mike Caulfield, is Verified: 

How to Think Straight, Get Duped Less, and Make 

Better Choices What to Believe Online (Chicago, 

2023).

H

ey there, Metro Detroiters. 
Yenta Girl here. Welcome to 
the first Good Gossip of 5784. 
With all the heaviness in our world 
at the moment, I’m delighted to share 
some of the simchahs, big life events, 
accomplishments and awards that are 
worthy of celebration in 
our community. 

Carol Sue and Steve 
Coden celebrated 
their 60th wedding 
anniversary in October. 
These lovebirds were 
set up on a blind date 
in 1959 and have been 
together ever since. How romantic.
David Strauss, dean of students at 
Wayne State University, 
was recently named one of 
Crain’s Notable Leaders in 
Higher Education. What a 
wonderful honor for such 
an erudite man.
Temple Israel welcomes 
Laila Cohen and Diane 
Okun as co-presidents 
of Women of Temple Israel (WOTI), 
formally known as Temple Israel 
Sisterhood. Y’shar 
Kocheych!
Joining Eastside Eye 
Physician, PC, Dr. Joshua 
Apple moved back to 
Michigan from Colorado 
to manage all your eye care 
needs.
We welcome Rabbi 
Natalie Shribman to 
Temple Kol Ami. Keep 
an eye out for thoughtful 
interfaith programming 
and sharing in her love of 
the outdoors.

Wishing you all a sweet, 
healthy and happy new year! 

 

Please fill me in on all your “jewcy” news 

at samanthafoon14@gmail.com. I cannot wait to 

brighten your day.

David 
Strauss

Dr. Joshua 
Apple

Rabbi 
Natalie 
Shribman

Samantha 
Foon

column

Good Gossip

