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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