How to spot fake news

By Eleanor O'Neill, Student Blog

15 May 2017
Key actions in detecting fake news:
• Is the source legitimate?
• What are people saying about it?
• Is it believable?
• Use fact-checking sources when you can.

Telling the real from the fake is now a major challenge in the
digitally-connected information society - and just how can you
tell if a news report is false?
Talk of 'fake news' is increasingly cropping up in discussions and debates, with everyone from
Mark Zuckerburg to Vladimir Putin accused of spreading rumours, gossip and outright
'alternative facts' in the media.
In the age of social media and instant share buttons, it is all too easy for a seemingly
legitimate, if not sensationalist, story to quickly gain traction across the web.
Although 'fake news' has been around for as long as the concept of news has existed, the
issue escalated during the last US Presidential Election with research from Buzzfeed.
They revealed that 2016's top-performing fake news stories on social media were all related
to either Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton: many of these 'reports' were intentionally
inflammatory or obscene in order to provoke outrage and, therefore, more views and
advertising revenue.
Think about your own reactions; are you more likely to read a piece that espouses a view you
recognise or one that appears to directly challenge it?

The top five fake news stories of 2016

•"Pope Francis shocks world, endorses Donald Trump for president": Originated on WTOE 5 News.
•"Donald Trump sent his own plane to transport 200 stranded marines": Originated
on Americanmilitarynews.com.
•"#Pizzagate": Originated on 4chan and Reddit.
•"Ireland is now officially accepting Trump refugees from America": Originated on Winning
Democrats.
•"WikiLeaks confirms Hillary sold weapons to ISIS … Then drops another bombshell": Originated
on The Political Insider.
Source: Buzzfeed Analytics
But how do you tell the real headlines from the hoaxes? Here are three questions you should
ask yourself before sharing a news story:

1. Is this a legitimate source?

The simplest way to identify fake news is to determine where it's from. If you have never
heard of the website before or if anything seems odd about the link, proceed with caution.
Some producers of fake news will even use the name of a respected source but slightly
change the URL. For example, Bloomberg.com becomes Bloomberg.ma.
Cross-check the story on your usual news outlets or with a quick Google search. Is
the BBC reporting it? Is the Guardian or the Telegraph? How about CA Today? This requires
you to do some of your fact-checking by comparing an article across several outlets, but
somewhere in the middle, you can find the grain of truth or the stepping stone to fiction.
A word of caution, however; 'fake' news can slip into 'real' news so always keep one eye open
for retractions - sources can be misleading, and the whole existence of news relies on
sources, in one way or another. It's why they employ journalists and not detectives!
In the 20th century we could rely on a limited number of outlets for our imposter pieces, such
as the countless UFO-celebrity stories that appeared in National Enquirer - now they are just
as likely to appear in 'traditional' outlets as well due to limited time for fact-checking in media
departments.
If a random site seems to be the only source then there's probably a reason.

2. What are people saying?

Comments on social media can often be a veritable minefield of questionable wisdom but the
responses to, for example, a Facebook post may offer insight into what the linked story
contains.
If you're lucky, there will be plenty of people saying "This is fake, don't bother reading" in an
appropriately dismissive tone, with some evidence to back up the claims. However, any useful
kernels like these may be buried under waves of "OMG" and "I can't believe it!", so be wary.
In general, it's not a brilliant idea to solely rely on social media for news, but if you do, always
track a few different sources that cover various political allegiances (yes, newspapers do have
some bias).

3. Is it believable?
Finally, nothing really beats a good dose of common sense. The best rule of thumb is that, if
something sounds too crazy to be true, it probably is. We live in a strange world, but it's also
fairly predictable.
Keeping up with current events is the key to knowing if something may not be credible, and to
always having a winning conversation starter!

Factcheck.org also shared some advice on how to separate fact from fiction.
Fake” news versus “wrong” news: a nonideological approach
to a smarter readership – Charles J Glasser
31012018
Before we attack the problem, we must understand that the idea of “disinformation” – and that’s
what we’re talking about here – is very old one. During the 1930s, New York Times reporter
Walter Duranty was found to have filed completely false stories covering up the barbaric cruelties
and famine committed in Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union.
When asked by a fellow reporter about peasants in Ukraine dying of starvation at the rate of
25,000 a day, Duranty replied “What are a few million dead Russians in a situation like this? Quite
unimportant. This is just an incident in the sweeping historical changes here. I think the entire matter is exaggerated.”
(“Pulitzer-Winning Lies”, THE WEEKLY STANDARD, Jun. 12, 2003)
Relying on the prestige of The New York Times, Mr. Duranty’s denial that there was a famine was accepted as gospel. After
Stalin’s atrocities came to light, in 1990 a member of The New York Times editorial board admitted that “Duranty’s articles
were some of the worst reporting to appear in this newspaper.” (See “New York Times Statement About 1932 Pulitzer Prize
Awarded to Walter Duranty”).
So, while disinformation is an old problem, electronic media (and by that, I mean a 24-hour news cycle, and news breaking
through the pervasiveness and immediacy of social media) has created a “multiplier effect.” There’s an old saying that a lie
spreads halfway around the world before the truth is out of bed. In our digital landscape, now a lie circles the globe several
times before the truth is out of bed.
It’s Really “Fake News 2.0”
It’s also important to understand that disinformation through digital media was happening long before the phrase “fake
news” came into parlance. During the dot-com bubble of the 1990s, stock market manipulators figured out that the
multiplier effect of digital media could be used to swindle stock investors using “the pump and dump scheme.” The way
these schemes usually worked was that the swindlers would buy a reasonably unknown stock at a low price. Then, using
chat rooms and bulletin boards, hoaxers would create fake headlines that announced some market moving news that wildly
increased value of their shares. Before the fake headline was discovered to be false, the swindlers sold their stock at a
higher price, in some cases for tens of millions of dollars.
Because this disinformation was not of interest to the general public but only to those involved in the equities markets, the
issue of fake headlines did not enter the general public’s consciousness. It’s worth noting that many of these people were
caught and charged with securities fraud, which goes to the element of accountability that we’ll see is central to our thesis.
“Wrong” vs “Fake”
As many of you know, last year a jury found that Rolling Stone published a story about a campus rape that turned out to be
a complete fabrication. The legal ins-and-outs of that case are too complicated to go into here, but the court heard
credible allegations that reporter had been lied to, manipulated by anti-rape activists, and also led by her own bias, failed
to fact-check allegations before being published (See, “Rolling Stone and UVA: The Columbia University Graduate School of
Journalism Report: An anatomy of a journalistic failure”, April 5, 2015). After a series of corrections, Rolling Stone retracted
the article in its entirety. The Dean of Students for UVA school sued Rolling Stone for defamation, and won a $3 million
award, which is not being appealed (Rolling Stone settled another suit brought by one of the named fraternities.
See, “Fraternity chapter at U-Va. to settle suit against Rolling Stone for $1.65 million”, June 13, 2017) but the issue they are
litigating is not the falsity of the story, but whether damages should be awarded against them.
The central thesis I submit is that neither CNN, The New York Times nor Rolling Stone are “fake news” outfits. They have
simply published “wrong” or “biased” news from time to time. Unfortunately, the phrase “fake news” is now being thrown
around as a slur against any news with which someone disagrees, or finds factual fault.
The key distinction between “fake news” and “wrong” or “biased” news is not a question of ideology, but rather one of
accountability. Whether we take free speech as a human right, or instead approach it as the keystone that holds together
the bridge of an informed democracy, we must admit that we all have a capacity for error. Reasonable readers must be
taught that that the First Amendment allows us the “breathing space” to make such errors (See, New York Times Co. v.
Sullivan 376 U.S. 254 (1964) .
As for accountability, responsible news organizations often self-police errors by providing corrections or allowing
aggrieved subjects an opportunity to respond. A few large news organizations still employ “public editors” or “standards
editors” to provide internal checks and balances. Whether you believe that these people are not doing their jobs well is off
point: if the public does not believe they are doing their jobs well, they will simply stop buying their publications. This is the
free marketplace of ideas at work.
Finally, in the worst-case scenario of ultimate accountability, the First Amendment still allows citizens who believe they
have been libeled to seek redress in court, usually subject to a very high standard of proof involving “knowing falsity or
reckless disregard of the truth.” (“Reckless disregard” is explained in greater detail in “Purposeful avoidance of the truth”:
the other side of actual malice”, Charles J. Glasser, Nov. 15, 2016, INFORRM)
Nuts and Bolts of Defining and Detecting “Fake News”
This leads us to the nuts and bolts question: how do we identify “fake” news sites? I submit that it’s not a question of
ideology. The alt-right Breitbart.com is not a “fake news site” nor is the far left progressive Thinkprogress.org. To be sure,
each are laden with skewed editorial viewpoints loaded into what ought to be straight news reporting, but that simply is the
hallmark of “bias.”
In the case of Rolling Stone, arguments can be made that the writer’s bias may have led the reporter to introduce falsity into
the story. But that’s “wrong” news, not “fake” news.
Instead of looking at legitimacy through an ideological lens, by using some simple Internet tools and little bit of detective
work we can use five steps to sort the wheat from the chaff and become better journalists, commentators and readers.
Using Geek Tools
1. Domain Registry is the First Sign of Fakeness.
Legitimate news organizations do not hide behind private domain registrations or anonymous ownership that make it
impossible to trace orcontact the publisher. All domain names are listed in an international registry called ICANN. This
registry shows the details of who owns whatdomain name. Using the Internet tool called “whois” we can look up theowner
of the domain name. We can see that the domain Bloomberg.com is run by Bloomberg LP, located at 731 Lexington Ave.
Similarly, Thinkprogress.org (although decidedly leftist-progressive) lists an addressthat can be checked as legitimate
through Google maps.
By contrast, the fake news site Bipartisanreport.com – which is often cited in social media reporting on US political news–
hides behind a privateregistration company actually located in Australia that shields the true ownership of the website from
public view. This is the first red flag indetecting a fake news website. This method is not colored by ideology, but rather a
hunt for simple transparency.
2.Lack of Contactable or Experienced Staff
Another red flag to look out for is whether or not the news site in question has a masthead that lists the names of reporters
and editors, or whether the website is populated by stories containing no byline at all. Check the“about” or “contact us” link
on the website. If it simply lists the generic email address and does not name any editors or journalists, it is likely a fake
news website.
3. Lack of Journalistic Legacy
Another backstop of credibility is to run a Google search on the name of theauthor(s) in question on bylined stories. We all
leave digital fingerprints,and when checking on the name of the author, we should find at leastsome breadcrumb that
shows either previous experience in journalism,expertise in the field about which they are writing, or some other
evidencethat byline is not merely a pseudonym.
Similarly, using an Amazon-owned search tool called Alexa you can also track which websites link to the one you are
examining. Fake news website operators have become very experienced in gaming search engines by creating networks of
links from one fake news website to another. (Much of this is motivated by clickbait ad verticals designed to generate
revenue).
Thus, it is not the number of links to the website in question that matters,but rather the type and quality of news
organization that cite the website you are examining. Again, this method is nonideological: even the arguably left-leaning
New York Times has cited the libertarian/conservativemagazine Reason at times.
4. Lack of Corrections, Updates and Self-Policing
Although there are cogent arguments that legacy media is doing a bad job of issuing corrections, (and in some cases
making “stealth” corrections tostories not showing a change in text) to their credit, most major news organizations spend
considerable resources at least making the attempt tocorrect errors or allow an opportunity to comment after publication.
In addition, seeking revenue in the transition from print to digital media,many news organizations are monetizing the
immediacy of digital media byissuing updates to stories adding new information, clarifications, or additional comment. This
attracts readers to revisit their news websites frequently, thus increasing revenue. In turn, it is in their interest to update
stories. By contrast, fake news websites almost never publish corrections nor have a “letters to the editor” section, and
rarely update news stories.
5. Does this Make Sense?
As a final check, the thoughtful reader or researcher needs to leave their own ideological bias at the door for a moment,
and ask themselves whether they believe the story because they want to, or because the storyhas been proven true. While
smaller, though legitimate news websites mayhave a scoop from time to time, before sharing or citing a
“bombshell”revelation it is worth checking to see if the well-staffed major wire servicessuch as the Associated Press,
Reuters or others have published anything remotely similar.
In conclusion, I make no pretense to offering these five steps as a panacea to curing us of the plague of “fake news.”
Indeed, The President’s constant use of the label perpetuates the misunderstanding (See, “Trump: Media Should Compete
for ‘FAKE NEWS TROPHY”, Nov. 27, 2017, THE HILL). In some cases, particularly in social media, civilians and journalists
alike often repost articles without reading them. Yet others do not exhibit the good healthy skepticism that a reader should
show when an article is so loaded with hysterical outrage or obsessive use of modifiers and editorialization that its
credibility should be called into question. But that said, if we slow down just a little bit and look behind the curtain we can
improve the quality and public trust of journalism and the quality of discourse in American life.
Charles J. Glasser, Jr. was a journalist from 1979 to 1992, covering spot news, combat correspondence and enterprise
reporting for daily newspapers and wire services. He later studied at the New York University School of Law, worked with
U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan at NYU’s Brennan Center, and started his legal career at NBC News. He spent
twelve years as Global Media Counsel for Bloomberg News. He is the author and editor of “The International Libel and
Privacy Handbook” (Fourth Ed., 2016-17, Lexis/Nexis). He has been appointed an Adjunct Professor at New York
University’s Arthur Carter Journalism Center, where he teaches a graduate level class in Law and Ethics for Investigative
Journalism. He also serves at the Columbia University Global Center for Free Expression as a listed expert and panelist on
international media law and free speech rights.

Publishing Accurate Blogs in the Era of ‘Fake

News’
productionmedia

We are living in the era of information overload. Stories proliferate that are hard to validate. Given that
we are also experiencing global political instability and immense change – sucked up and spewed forth
by a 24 hour news cycle – it’s no surprise that it is sometimes hard to know what to trust on the
internet.
At the end of 2016, ‘Fake News’ was named word of the year by the Australian Macquarie Dictionary.
Editor Sue Butler commented:
“Fake news is the shift from the notion that we can trust what we read in the newspaper is true, to we’re
never quite sure it’s going to be true or not. Because people are deliberately misleading us and it’s
considered fair; a clever strategy, something that everyone’s doing”. (Sue Butler, Editor of Macquarie
Dictionary, 2016)
What is reassuring is that there are a lot of people who are questioning the veracity of what they are
reading or seeing and demanding accuracy.
That’s why when it comes to business blogging, it is essential that your posts be credible.
“We live in a world where there is more and more information and less and less meaning.”

Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, 1981

You should be researching your blogs to ensure they are factually correct and using reputable sources
for anything that’s not common knowledge, linking to the original article where possible.
According to the Harvard University guide, ‘common knowledge’ facts are those that would be known
to an educated reader and that are not products of an individual’s unique research. A good rule of thumb
is that facts which can be found in multiple reputable sources without citation are common
knowledge (Purdue University Online Writing Lab).
Otherwise, you need to cite information that you’ve found elsewhere. Try and use authoritative sources,
such as national newspapers, academic and government sites.
There are also a number of great fact-checking websites that you can use to check the veracity of
information. Factcheck.org and Snopes are both popular verification sites.
Blogging is a brilliant way to engage with an audience and promote your business values and
information – just make sure it’s the right information.
Resources:
www.quicksprout.com
‘Fake News’ named word of the year by Macquarie Dictionary
What is Fake News? Its origins and how it grew in 2016

Brands combating fake news in a ‘Post-Truth

World’
MON, 13 NOV 2017

Audience Engagement, Subscription Management, Customer Experience Management

With fake news constantly appearing in our daily headlines, the growing need for quality
content and information provides brands with the opportunity to build trusting relationships
with their audience that rewards them with financial benefits.

Brands combating fake news in a ‘Post-Truth World’

MON, 13 NOV 2017

Audience Engagement, Subscription Management, Customer Experience Management

With fake news constantly appearing in our daily headlines, the growing need for quality content and information provides brands with the opportunity
to build trusting relationships with their audience that rewards them with financial benefits.
Over the past year, it feels that daily we hear about ‘fake news’ and the growing problem it has created. Especially since both the Brexit vote and the
US Presidential election occurred, the term has become synonymous with news regarding politics and/or politicians that is ‘seen as damaging to an
agency, entity, or person.’ But while the term ‘fake news’ – the publishing and/or spreading of information with no factual basis, with the intention of
creating shock and swaying perception – is relatively new, the concept and the commotion it causes is not, nor does it purely apply to politics. History
is full of examples of bending the truth for political and economic gain, with examples appearing in both the Greek and Roman Empires. It has been
more commonly referred to as false news, or in extreme cases as propaganda, and can be found across multiple disciplines.

Fake News in a Digital World

The digital age rapidly grew our ability to access multiple sources of information, which has included ‘fake news’ and it has unquestionably taken on a
life of its own. The barriers to entry in today’s digital media landscape are incredibly low, where any ‘Joe-Smo’ can easily set up a site, write down
whatever they like claiming it as ‘facts,’ and generate significant advertising revenue. The Reuters Institute found that the increasingly blurred lines of
distinction between the following in the public eye have also added to the problem: ‘(1) news that is ‘invented’ to make money or discredit others; (2)
news that has a basis in fact, but is ‘spun’ to suit a particular agenda; and (3) news that people don’t feel comfortable about or don’t agree with.’

The more recent growth of social media platforms has also added fuel to the fire, with the Reuters also finding that ‘users feel the combination of a
lack of rules and viral algorithms are encouraging low quality and ‘fake news’ to spread quickly.’ This was seen in the influence of 2016 election voter
behaviour, as it was founded that the popular fake news stories were more widely shared on Facebook than the popular mainstream news stories.
Recently, both Facebook and Twitter have met with the US Congress to discuss the role their platforms played in the spreading of fake news which
influenced the outcome of the election.

All of these factors put together have placed an increasing amount of pressure on those reporting, writing and distributing valuable information. This
covers a wide range of job roles and organisation types, but journalists and publishers- especially in the mainstream media- are getting hit the hardest.
Even when they follow their strict code of conduct, there is fear that accidentally reporting an inaccuracy (which can and does happen) or upholding
international law protecting their sources will brand them with a ‘fake news’ label - even when they retract, correct and apologise in a timely manner.
Fake news is also impacting other industries such as advertising, which have a strong relationship with publishers, with recent survey found that ‘96%
of Advertisers are concerned about fake news in programmatic advertising.’ Conscientious readers are looking for trusted brands that produce quality
information - regardless of if its news, academic research, pure interest, etc – and this matters now more than ever.

How brands can thrive in a ‘Post-Truth World’

Demonstrating trust and delivering value has always been a brands main goal and this of increasing importance in a world with growing fake news
outlets. A recent study by MediaCom North and Magnetic found that 7 in 10 Britons trust magazine media over social media, with its key finding being
that ‘if you want to deliver brand trust, use trusted media.’
 The Media Insight Project also recently found that increasingly, millennials are more willing to pay for one or more news source when they are
provided with an engaging experience. Having this in mind and the fact that the majority of people today now consume information online, the main
emphasis for brands is to bring the focus back to paid sources of quality content and information.

The Drum recently stated that in order ‘to rise above the noise and make a mark in consumers’ minds, strong and resonant brands have unique value.’
The production of quality content and information is definitely not cheap, but it is what consumers want in order to navigate the fake news epidemic
and research has been proven that they are willing to pay for it. This is underlined by major brands such as the New York Times, Wall Street
Journal, The Economist and The Financial Times all reporting significant growth in their digital subscriptions over the past year. We have also seen
this with our own clients, with Centaur Media recently reporting increases in digital premium content subscriptions across their brands.

Delivering an engaging experience that builds brand trust and value to your audience relies on appropriate technology. Having an intelligent customer
identity and access management (CIAM) system can help you to improve your digital engagement strategy. And with GDPR right around the corner,
businesses can responsibly use their customer data to build trusted data-compliant relationships by driving high-quality original content to them at the
right time, in the right place and format.

To learn more about how our platforms can help you deliver an engaging customer experience that provides value and trust to your audience, please
contact us on 02077669810 or [email protected]

The Pros and Cons of Social Networking

A look at the ups and downs of being so digitally connected to
people
•

by Elise Moreau
Updated March 07, 2018
Social networking has changed the way we communicate, do business, get our daily news fix
and so much more. But is it really all it's cracked up to be?
That depends on who you talk to and how you're using it. A site like Facebookcould serve as
an opportunistic launching pad for a new business owner, or it could be an inescapable
source of negative peer pressure for a young teen. There are pros and cons to everything in
life – and that includes our social networking habits.

Here are some of the major pros and cons that most people are familiar with. As you go
through them, ask yourself how you can take more advantage of the pros while minimizing
the cons whenever you decide to check out your favorite social networks.
Pros of Social Networking
Ability to connect to other people all over the world. One of the most obvious pros of using
social networks is the ability to instantly reach people from anywhere. Use Facebook to stay
in touch with your old high school friends who've relocated all over the country, get on Google
Hangouts with relatives who live halfway around the world, or meet brand new people
on Twitter from cities or regions you've never even heard of before.

Object 1
Easy and instant communication. Now that we're connected wherever we go, we don't have
to rely on our landlines, answering machines or snail mail to contact somebody. We can
simply open up our laptops or pick up our smartphones and immediately start communicating
with anyone on platforms like Twitter or one of the many social messaging apps available.

Real-time news and information discovery. Gone are the days of waiting around for the
six o'clock news to come on TV or for the delivery boy to bring the newspaper in the morning.
If you want to know what's going on in the world, all you need to do is jump on social media.
An added bonus is that you can customize your news and information discovery experiences
by choosing to follow exactly what you want.
Great opportunities for business owners. Business owners and other types of professional
organizations can connect with current customers, sell their products and expand their reach
using social media. There are actually lots of entrepreneurs and businesses out there that
thrive almost entirely on social networks and wouldn't even be able to operate without it.
General fun and enjoyment. You have to admit that social networking is just plain fun
sometimes. A lot of people turn to it when they catch a break at work or just want to relax at
home. Since people are naturally social creatures, it's often quite satisfying to
see comments and likes show up on our own posts, and it's convenient to be able to see
exactly what our friends are up to without having to ask them directly.
Cons of Social Networking
Information overwhelm. With so many people now on social media tweeting links and posting
selfies and sharing YouTube videos, it sure can get pretty noisy. Becoming overwhelmed
by too many Facebook friends to keep up with or too many Instagram photos to browse
through isn't all that uncommon. Over time, we tend to rack up a lot of friends and followers,
and that can lead to lots of bloated news feeds with too much content we're not all that
interested in.

Privacy issues. With so much sharing going on, issues over privacy will always be a big
concern. Whether it's a question of social sites owning your content after it's posted,
becoming a target after sharing your geographical location online, or even getting in trouble at
work after tweeting something inappropriate – sharing too much with the public can open up
all sorts of problems that sometimes can't ever be undone.
Social peer pressure and cyber bullying. For people struggling to fit in with their peers –
especially teens and young adults – the pressure to do certain things or act a certain way can
be even worse on social media than it is at school or any other offline setting.
In some extreme cases, the overwhelming pressure to fit in with everyone posting on social
media or becoming the target of a cyberbullying attack can lead to serious stress, anxiety and
even depression.
Online interaction substitution for offline interaction. Since people are now connected all the
time and you can pull up a friend's social profile with a click of your mouse or a tap of your
Object 2

smartphone, it's a lot easier to use online interaction as a substitute for face-to-face
interaction. Some people argue that social media actually promotes antisocial human
behavior.
Distraction and procrastination. How often do you see someone look at their phone? People
get distracted by all the social apps and news and messages they receive, leading to all sorts
of problems like distracted driving or the lack of gaining someone's full attention during a
conversation. Browsing social media can also feed procrastination habits and become
something people turn to in order to avoid certain tasks or responsibilities.
Sedentary lifestyle habits and sleep disruption. Lastly, since social networking is all done on
some sort of computer or mobile device, it can sometimes promote too much sitting down in
one spot for too long. Likewise, staring into the artificial light from a computer or phone screen
at night can negatively affect your ability to get a proper night's sleep. (Here's how you
can reduce that blue light, by the way.)
Focus on using social media for all the good points outlined in this article, but be wary of
falling victim to the dark side of an online interaction.
Check out t

Top 10 social media pros and cons

Written by Keith Errington | 15, January, 2016 | 0 Comments
Nearly every business is now either using social media for marketing or is
considering doing so. But like any communications medium, it has its plus
points and its negatives.

Here are 10 social media pros and cons to recognise, or remind yourself
of, when using social media.

You can use the positive list as a justification to use social media in your
organisation, to remind yourself of why you are doing it and to make sure
you are not missing out on any of the benefits. And you can use the list of
shortcomings as a guide to what to look out for, what to manage and what
to avoid when using social media.

The ten pros...

1. Lowest cost form of marketing

Barriers to entry are low; you can use basic software for free – Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and many more. Participating in social media is
also made easier by the ability to post from almost any device from virtually
anywhere. Very few channels are as easy to access and cultivate.
2. Huge potential audience and the possibility of messages going
viral
Social media can have impressive reach compared to other
communications channels, with the whole connected world of the Internet a
potential audience. Given the right content, at the right time, a post on
social media can go viral, extending its day-to-day reach impressively and
having a massive impact.
3. It’s not just marketing

Social media is not just marketing – as I have covered in this blog post –
it’s a channel used for customer service, business intelligence, news,
messaging, help and so much more.
4. Offers a closer connection with your clients

Conversations in networks such as Facebook and Twitter are more

personal and intimate than other types of communication, offering a
deeper level of engagement with your clients' lives. As a form of
communication, it is about as close as you can get to holding a
conversation with someone without being in the same room.

5. Source of instant feedback

Social media offers a 24/7 communications channel, and customers will

give you instant feedback on your organisation, products, services or posts
– that is, if you are listening…

6. A useful tool for market research, intelligence & insights

You can use social media listening tools to learn about the market you are
in, gain intelligence on competitors, prospects and clients, and get insights
on your organisation, products and services. All at very little, to no cost.
7. Engenders loyalty and facilitates referrals

Engaging with existing clients and customers is a great way to engender

loyalty and, if you are delivering on your product or service promises, to
gain unsolicited praise or even referrals. While some of this activity will
take place in the public eye – and therefore, you will see it – some will take
place in peer-to-peer or closed networks.
8. Provides lots of lovely data

Your activities in the social sphere will generate lots of data for your
analytics applications – this allows you to track your progress and evaluate
the impact your posts are having. You can see what times are best for your
target audience and what types of posts they respond to; allowing you to
post better content at the best times. Beyond this, you can learn a lot about
your prospects by looking at what they are interested in, what they post
and where they are active. Marrying information from social media to your
customer relationship management system can give you valuable insight
into your prospects and customers and what they value.
9. Great for Google too

Social content helps with organic search and will boost your standing with
search engines. The more attractive and helpful your posts – the more they
will be shared and the better the effect. And social networks like Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn/SlideShare and YouTube are used by searchers too –
you can’t be found if you are not there.
10. Excellent medium to promote your content

Creating content is a great way to attract business to you, but you can’t just
rely on a prospect’s organic search finding your blog posts and content
offers, you also need to get the word out there. Here, social media
provides an ideal platform to reach a much wider audience than just search
alone.

FREE Tip Sheet: How to set a Social Media Policy

…and the ten cons

1. Takes time – lots of time. All the time.

Although the monetary cost can be minimal, successful implementation of

social media requires an on-going sustained effort, requiring a significant
time commitment. And the more time you give it, the better the results will
be.
2. You are in it for the long term

Many social media channels need continuous attention – any significant

absence will result in a major loss of traction. (Although some, like
Pinterest, are not so needy). Like blogging, you have to be prepared for
social to become a fixture of your working week.

3. It’s not just marketing

See Point 3 in the pros list. You cannot just use social media channels for
marketing and ignore all the other aspects. So you have to have
procedures and channels of communication in place for customer service
and insights before you start. This suggests a commitment from senior
management and a co-operative culture. Many companies don’t want to
hear complaints or issues being aired by customers, but that’s the digital
equivalent of being an ostrich. You can’t bury your head in the sand –
those complaints and issues will be out there for all your customers and
potential customers to see. It’s better to deal with them and show how
helpful and caring you can be – a real benefit. Without problems, there is
no way to demonstrate to customers and prospects how good you are in
this area.

4. Changing landscape

Social networks can change their terms and conditions, their functionality
and even disappear overnight, leaving you struggling in the aftermath. New
startups are launched every week, with some becoming a significant force
in a very short space of time while others sink without trace. So your
strategy and tactics have to be reviewed and changed often. Keeping up
with all this is a headache and adds to the time spent managing social
media.
5. Lack of control

Old style marketing before the age of the Internet was a bit like
propaganda – you could control the message; you could restrict the
amount of information you allowed the public to access. Today that is no
longer possible. Social networking with it’s viral nature and peer-to-peer
messaging means that companies can no longer control or even see,
everything said about them.

6. Crises and the fear of faux pas

Because of the lack of control, many businesses objections to the use of

social media hinge around the possibility of making a catastrophic mistake,
revealing inside information or otherwise embarrassing the company. The
truth is that you can make mistakes in any communications channel –
social media is little different; if anything it’s very nature is more informal
and therefore more forgiving of mistakes or off-the-cuff remarks. We've
published a handy checklist that might help avoid mistakes.

7. Hard to measure return on investment (ROI)

While there is a wealth of data available to the social media marketer,

unless you are very careful it often only tells you how popular you are. And
bear in mind that popularity might not even be amongst your target
audience. On the other hand, if you set up your analytics and monitoring to
comprehensively and intelligently cover the process from post to purchase,
you can see how effective your strategy is, what works and what doesn’t
work. This is not always easy, and many companies never achieve this.

8. Open, public, worldwide

Conversations on social media often take place in public, out in the open,
or at least, in front of an audience. This makes some companies feel
awkward and uncomfortable. They imagine that any errors will be
magnified and jumped on by the crowd – and indeed, sometimes they are.
But it also means that positive messages and outcomes benefit from the
very same circumstances.

As most social media is worldwide in scope it means that companies have

to be circumspect about their regional markets – pricing, legislation and
culture will change from area to area; one message may not be right for all
recipients. This can be difficult to manage, not least if you have local
offices and staff using social media around the world – keeping them all on
message can be a full-time job in itself.
9. False, unreliable information

There are no filters on the Internet. There are no checks on what is being
posted to social media either. Rumours and untruths abound, bad news
spreads like wildfire, and companies are left flailing in their wake. On the
upside it is getting increasingly hard for companies to be unethical, to lie
about performance or make false claims about their products.

10. Can be addictive

It is all too easy to start using social media for business purposes with a
clear plan and targets in mind, and then to be sucked into the social
aspects of the medium. Within a few months, you might find yourself
chatting with friends, following links to news articles, watching cat videos
and finding out what happened next – all the while neglecting your real
work. It is crucial at the start of any involvement in social media that you
set time limits and clear goals and that you rigidly stick to them and stay
professional in outlook and purpose. And for your employees, you will
need a good social media policy, that should include usage guidelines to
prevent them from unwittingly spending too much unproductive time on
facebook or twitter. With the right support, even your employees can
become effective avocates for your company.

So that's ten pros and ten cons of social media. On balance, I hope it’s
clear that the pros outweigh the cons, and even if you’re undecided, the
simple fact is that you can’t ignore it. Any modern business has to take it
into account.

Now excuse me while I respond to comments on the hilarious meme image

I posted to Facebook, tweet about some random celebrity and check out
that video of the cat doing the thing.
Pros & Cons of Social Media

by Jessica, Needa, Beth

http://illegalimmigrationstatistics.net/illegal-immigration-pros-and-cons/

Put yourself out there in a good way Posting inappropriate statuses/pictures

Connect with students in other educational
Making people feel bad about themselves
systems
Make new friends/communicate or connect with
Cyberbullying
old friends/family
Get different opinions on things like surveys Hacking into profiles and posting as them
Get a fanbase/try to make a name for yourself Gossip/spread rumors
You could help somebody with anything on a
blog just by stating your opinion.
Instead of mailing something and having it take
a few days to get there or even paying to mail it,
you can go right on the web and have it sent to
someone in a matter of seconds.
The social media can bring people together that
are interested in the same things as you are.
Ability to educate others in a different way
60 million Americans received help with major The use of social networking sites can cause
life issues (changing jobs, finding a new place to personality and brain disorders in children, such
live, buying a car, and caring for someone with as the inability to have real conversations, limited
an illness) from people in their social networks attention spans, a need for instant gratification,
in 2006. These people said social networking Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
sites helped them connect with friends and (ADHD), and self-centered personalities.
 experts who assisted in their decisions.
Social networking sites bring people with
Stalking people
common interests together
Try to make an impact (helping with natural
disasters and raising awareness)
Social networking sites have no way to verify that
Social media sites are expanding from general
people are who they claim to be, leaving people
interest to more specific uses that benefit
vulnerable to solicitations from online predators
society. For example, sites have been created for
who are able to mask their true identities.(twitter
medical purposes such as dealing with life
doesn’t make you use a real name when facebook
altering diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction,
makes you use something that at least sounds like
weight loss, and autism.
a real name)
Advertising yourself and a brand
59% of students with access to the Internet
report that they use social networking sites to
If your profile is not private, people can get
discuss educational topics including career and
private information about you
college planning, and 50% use the sites to talk
about school assignments
Blog about your opinions to express yourself in
a non-violent way
Colleges can recruit you on videos you put up
Creating a blog that defames others.
on social media for sports.
Convenience (mass invitation online to events)

The Good, Bad, and In-between of Social

Media
Pros and Cons of Social Media
Whenever there’s a significant technological advance that fundamentally changes the way people live,
it generates debate over the nature of that change and whether it’s “good” or “bad.” Such is the case
with social media—internet-based, mobile tools like email, Facebook, and YouTube that have
revolutionized the way human beings get information and communicate and interact with one another.
In the relatively short time, they’ve been in existence, social media has had some very positive effects
in terms of empowering and connecting people. At the same time, they have provided new platforms
for some decidedly unhealthy and destructive behaviors.
Some of the leading arguments for this technology–the pros and cons of social media–are
outlined below. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to support either assessment; however,
research into the effects of social media is still in its infancy, so scientific data are relatively
scarce. What is clear is that the internet, social media sites, and the digital devices on which
they operate are here to stay. Therefore, it is incumbent on each of us to understand, and
help others to understand, how to use them productively and responsibly.

Pros of Social Media

One of the biggest pros of social media is that it nurtures and expands relationships. Improving
communication and strengthening human connection is the reason social media emerged. Facebook,
Twitter, chat groups, LinkedIn and countless other social networking sites help people build on existing
relationships, create new ones, and reinvigorate those that have lapsed over time. Regardless of where a
person lives, it’s possible to find others who share the same interests and concerns.
Social media has exponentially increased the resources for mental health information and support.
Research shows that people who get support from peers (those struggling with the same problems)
have better health outcomes, whether they have a physical condition like diabetes or a psychological
one like depression. Internet support groups, discussion boards, and blogs have significantly enhanced
the resources for individuals wrestling with mental health, behavioral, and/or addiction issues. Online
support offers certain advantages that make it attractive to individuals who might not otherwise seek
help, for example:
1. Anonymity. Many people find it easier to share problems and feelings openly when there’s
minimal risk of identification or “real-life” consequences.
2. 24/7 availability. The internet never sleeps. In the event of a crisis, this can truly be life-saving;
web-based support communities have been credited with saving people from suicide and
accidental drug overdoses.
3. No geographic limitations. Location can be an obstacle to participating in traditional support
groups that require physical attendance. Online groups pull members from all over and can host
larger numbers of people, adding to the pool of knowledge and experience.
The internet and social media boost productivity. These tools offer more information— including real-
time news—than a library full of encyclopedias, and the information’s accessible at any time of day or
night. Studies have linked internet/social media use with greater success in academics as well as
improved job performance and employment prospects.

Cons of Social Media

The very same attributes that make social media a positive force in our lives make it potentially
dangerous. For example, anonymity allows cyberbullies to prey on vulnerable peers without taking
personal responsibility. Just as they bring people together for constructive reasons, social media can
connect dissatisfied, disgruntled, and misguided people together, further fueling negative attitudes and
beliefs.
Teens and young adults are considered particularly at risk. They’re a generation raised on the internet,
social media, and digital technology so these things are integral, indispensable parts of their lives.
Young people also are impressionable, eager for acceptance, and relatively inexperienced, which can
cloud judgment. Most adults today remember what life was like before the internet, social media, and
mobile communication devices so it’s easier to step away from them. But it has still proved
problematic, especially for adults who are prone to addictive behavior or have pre-existing mental
health issues.
Social Media and Internet Addiction
Social media is addictive. Internet addiction is not officially listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the mental health profession’s guide to classifying psychological
disorders. However, in the recently revised DSM-5, “Internet Gaming Disorder” is mentioned as “a
condition warranting more clinical research and experience” for possible inclusion as a “formal
disorder.” Lack of formal recognition hasn’t stopped people from referring to compulsive internet use
—for gaming or any other reason—as an “addiction.” Several recent studies seem to support this
conclusion, including brain imaging studies of compulsive internet users that have shown structural and
functional brain abnormalities similar to those found in people with substance abuse problems.
While it remains to be seen when and if Internet Addiction will make it into the DSM, the
characteristics of pathological internet use are very similar to the ones listed for “Substance-Related
and Addictive Disorders”:
• Preoccupation with substance/activity
• Use to improve one’s mood
• Increasing tolerance (need to spend more time or take larger quantities to achieve same “high”)
• Loss of other interests
• Continued use despite awareness of the harm it’s causing
• Withdrawal symptoms when the object of the addiction is no longer available
• Unsuccessful attempts to quit

More of the Bad Side

Social media invites us to compare ourselves with others. For people with self-esteem issues and
insecurities, hearing about other people’s happiness and successes can deepen feelings of inferiority.
It’s easy to forget that social media posts, like photos of air-brushed models in magazines, can present
an idealized, heavily edited version of what’s actually going on.
Social media is detrimental to face-to-face human interaction. It’s hard not to be concerned when you
see a group of people sitting together, each engrossed in his or her own smartphone or iPad. And
studies indicate that irresponsible use of social media can have that effect.
Another one of the cons of social media is that it allows unreliable/false information as well
as indiscreet remarks and photos to spread quickly.
Once something’s out there, you can’t take it back.

…And the Middle Ground

Dr. David Buch, Chief Medical Officer of Carrier Clinic® (a Central Jersey behavioral health center),
sums up:
As with any healthy relationship, use of social media should have its boundaries.

Ultimately, whether social media is “good” or “bad”/“healthy” or “unhealthy” for a person’s mental
health and well-being is directly related to how they are used (or abused), by whom, and to some
degree by who is passing judgment. Key to enjoying the benefits while avoiding the problems is to use
these powerful tools sensibly, constructively, and in moderation. Like food, which we truly can’t live
without, the right choices in the right amounts keep people healthy and satisfied, while poor choices
and excess consumption can lead to significant, potentially life-threatening health conditions.
20 Pros and Cons of Social Media Use
Jon Patrick Hatcher

December 6, 2017

My generation grew up in an era not known for leaps in technological advances. The lack of fun,
lithium-ion powered iThings forced us to engage in antiquated traditions like going outside,
socializing or reading. On the upside, living offline allowed us to keep screw-ups to limited
audiences. We also experienced less bullying, anxiety and depression than later peers.

Related: Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Self-Esteem—and How to Stop It

Today, we often perceive anyone who shuns social media as old or out of touch. However, they
might be the most mentally fit among us. In reality, most people have little awareness of the
frequency with which they check their phones. In a 2015 study, participants checked their phones an
average of 85 times each day and spent 5.05 hours per day using their smartphone. This is
concerning because several studies and researchers have associated social media with several
psychiatric disorders, including depressive symptoms, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Consider these 10 notable pro and con stances regarding social media use.

PROS:
1. Messaging on social media sites can lead to face-to-face interactions when plans are made via the
sites.
2. Social media increases voter participation and facilitates political change.
3. Social media helps reduce loneliness of senior citizens who are socially isolated.
4. Social media allows for quick diffusion of public health and safety information during crisis events.
5. The U.S. military and the Department of Veterans Affairs use social media to help prevent suicide.
6. Social media can help disarm social stigmas like anxiety or depression.
7. Crowdsourcing on social media allows people to attain a goal, empowering users to achieve
positive change.
8. Social media provides academic research to a wider audience, allowing people access to
previously inaccessible educational resources.
9. Social media sites can help improve overall well-being by providing users with a large social group
creating a “contagion” effect.
10.Professional networking sites like LinkedIn greatly assist companies to find personnel and job
seekers to find work.
CONS:
1. Social media posts cannot be entirely deleted.
2. Social media can endanger our military, journalists and activists.
3. Social media use is associated with personality and brain disorders.
4. Students who are heavy social media users tend to have lower grades.
5. Social media can exacerbate feelings of disconnect and put children at higher risk for anxiety,
depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders and even suicide.
6. Criminals can use social media to commit and promote crimes.
7. Social media can be a drain on time and use up hours that you can’t get back.
8. Advertising practices of social media sites may create an invasion of privacy.
9. Social media facilitates sexting, which can lead to revenge porn, criminal charges and a
proliferation of personal images.
10.Social media use can cause personality and brain disorders, ADHD and self-centered personalities
—particularly in youth.

Clinical psychologist and author of The Teen Girl’s Survival Guide, Dr. Lucie Hemmen writes that,
“Most people experience huge benefits from taking a social media break. There is a way in which
cultivating and maintaining your online identity can replace an authentic connection to your true self.
The more grounded you are in your authentic value as a human being, the less likely you are to be
a heavy user of social media and also to be negatively affected by it.”

For example, if you know that your value is deeper and more complex than what you post and how
many likes and comments you receive, then you are probably social media resilient.

Social networking pros and cons: Do social media

make our lives better?
Most people engage in social networking on a daily basis. But do the benefits of social media really
outweigh their disadvantages? Do they benefit us?

Social networking on the Internet

We owe much to the development and expansion of the Internet. It has enabled one of the main technological and
cultural revolutions in recent history: the emergence of social media. Over the last 10 years, online social media
have grown extremely fast and become central to the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Social
platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google Plus allow us to communicate
with family, friends, and people that we would have never had the chance to meet regularly. Some social
media such as LinkedIn, Skype, Slack and Meetup are becoming important tools for our work and business
networking. To the extent that many cities are offering free public WiFi to their citiezens. However, although many
people spent considerable part of their lives interacting with social media, others refuse to engage with online social
networking. Let's dissect some of the benefits and dangers of social networking.
The advantages of social networking
Social networks allow us to keep in touch with people that we meet at different points in our lives
and reconnect with old friends that we may have not seen in years for various reasons. Online social media
help bridge previously insurmountable physical distances. Before Facebook, it was difficult to follow what your
friends were doing. You could write emails, and before that letters, but the sense of proximity that people get by
reading comments and things friends share and seing their pictures on the social media is something never
achieved before. Instant messaging services, such as Whatsapp, and conference call software, such as Skype, add
to this new feeling of proximity with people that may be leaving thousands of miles away.
Social networks offer their users the capacity to get almost immediate access to information about things happening
elsewhere. When something important happens in the world people often find out almost immediately
through social media. Just by spending five minutes on your Twitter, Facebook or Reddit feed you can learn about
global social, cultural and economic events and trends. They even allow to shame the politicians and other people
that have done or said something unethical or wrong.
These platforms also allow for global interaction with people from different backgrounds. Before social media,
interacting with people from distant places was almost exclusively the privilege of those who could afford
travelling. Now through social networking sites we often engage in discussions and can establish friendships with
people very different from us. Some social media even facilitate people meeting face-to-face. For instance,
networks such as Couchsurfing allow you to live for some time with people you might have otherwise never met.
Likewise some social networks specialized in dating help people meeting others and often establish long
term relationships.
Thanks to the social networks some people and small companies can gain visibility for their products and
creations without having to invest much in advertising. Social networks can also very effective ways to find a job, a
business partner or an employee.
Finally, social platforms, such as netivist, help to promote public participation and civic engagement. People have
new means to express their views and defend causes they find worth fighting for. Protest movements around the
world, such as the Arab Spring, the Occupy Movement and the European Indignados employed social media for the
mobilization and organization of protesters. At the same time, the use of social media, such as Twitter or Reddit, by
Obama during his campaign for the White House is a good example of how politicians and citizens can interact
more directly to the benefit of political participation and democratic processes.

The limitations and dangers of social media

However, social media may also have some negative effects on our lives and the way people interact. First of all, it
is argued that social media may insulate us from the people that surround us. Although these platforms
make communication easier and more flexible with those far away, they can have the opposite impact on our
relationships with the people we live with. Who has not been in a family or friends' reunion, where everyone is just
looking at their smartphones or tablets rather than speaking to each other?
Social networks serve to disseminate information, but the validity of this information cannot always be verified.
Thus, social media can be used to spread rumors, propaganda, and misleading information, now often referred to
as "post truth" or "alternative facts." Sometimes this information can have negative impact on the lives of
people. Apologies and rectifications tend not to reach as many people and travel as fast as flashy erroneous
information. Harm is not always undone or compensated.

Social networking distracts us. Social media have become a source of entertainment but also a means
of procrastination. With people often checking Facebook, Whatsapp, or Twitter every five minutes, it is likely that
their productivity at work diminishes. We are constantly bombarded with notifications from social media. Many of
them are of no use to our lives. Worse even, in many cases social media may turn into an addiction or obsession
with negative psychological impacts on our lives.
Privacy is also at risk because social media. Pictures and videos of everyone are circulating through the internet.
Even if we try to be careful, there is no way we can prevent other people from posting pictures of us or our families
on Facebook, Twitter or other social media. How many times have you found yourself removing a tag from a
somewhat inappropriate picture taken at a party? Social media are also making it more difficult to separate our
professional and social lives. We end up being "Facebook friends" with colleagues, and in some cases this
may backfire. Police surveillance and social media monitoring by governments may also make you feel
uncomfortable.
Social media platforms store too much information about us. Potentially this information could be used by
governments and corporations to control us. Most networking platforms extract large amounts of information from
their users. It is difficult to understand the terms and conditions of use of the platforms, usually captured by long
and extremely technical legal documents. Moreover, this information collected about us is not always secured.
There have been notable cases in which hackers have managed to steal information about thousands of users.
Finally, these platforms have become fertile grounds for offences and crime. Many people suffer stalking
and bullying through social networks. This has led to dramatic cases where users have ended up committing
suicide. Social networks have also been used to collect information about victims by kidnappers and burglars. Many
terrorist organizations recruit members and raise funding through social media.
Social networking pros and cons
We summarize the main arguments in favor and against social media and online networking:
Pros
• They help stay in touch with people, no matter how far they are
• Social media tools allow you to contact again with those we have not seen in many years in a not very intrusive way
• Social media are very entertaining
• Social media provide relevant information about things that happen everywhere in the world
• They also help understand better the latest trends and events
• Social networking can be used to monitor and shame those who are acting wrong
• Social meida have become a way to meet new people and establish new work, friendship and romantic relationships
• Companies and NGOs use social media to enhance their visibility
• Social networks also allow people to organize collective action
Cons
• Social media may also insulate people from those who live near them
• Much of the information disseminated in social media is not reliable or false
• They make people waste many hours of their time
• Many people have become addicted or obsessed with social media
• Online security breaches and privacy issues have been increased due to social media
• The impact of social media on children's education and development is uncertain
• They help spreading radical views
• They facilitate the activities of terrorists and criminal groups
• Thanks to social media governments and corporations can collect information that could be used against the interest of
the people
• Stalking and bullying is common in social media
Social networking has drastically changed our lives. These platforms offer many advantages but also have some downsides. Do
you think their impact is overall positive or negative for society? Are they beneficial or detrimental to our social lives?

Social networking pros and cons: Do social media make our lives better? Vote and explain why or how do
you think they affect your life. Invite others to join and help us making this discussion more interesting

Vote to see result and collect 1 XP. Your vote is anonymous.

If you change your mind, you can change your vote simply by clicking on another option.

Yes, much better Yes, better Neither better or worse No, slightly worse No, much worse Unsure