Misinformation is widespread — but there are ways to fight back

Misinformation in this election year continues to remain an issue. Last week, the State Department said that Russia’s state media outlet RT is running intelligence operations, reports The Washington Post; a few days later, Meta has banned RT from its platforms, NBC News reported. And Haitians in Springfield, Ohio are feeling the real-world effects of misinformation, writes Maria Ramirez Uribe in Poynter.

At the local level, there are other promising steps taken to fight misinformation, as Tom Jones points out, also in Poynter. The Sun Sentinel in South Florida sent out questionnaires for both candidates in the race for supervisor of elections in Palm Beach County, but declined to publish one because it contained “myths and falsehoods.” Along with endorsing that candidate’s opponent, the editorial board wrote, “We wish to publish all candidate questionnaires, but as a trusted media source, we cannot knowingly publish these falsehoods.” 

And for Nieman Lab, Laura Hazard Owen writes that an AI chatbot has helped people who believe in conspiracies to reduce these beliefs. A study found that even when told that they were going to have a conversation with an AI bot that would try to talk them out of their beliefs, many still were open to the information and changed their minds.

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> Hong Kong journalists harassed in ‘systemic and organized attack’ (The Guardian)

The Hong Kong Journalists Association says their members have been harassed and attacked in recent months. Journalists have received death threats, and their family and employers have received threatening letters.

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Culture & Inclusion

>> We know why journalists leave the profession. A new study looks at why they stay (Nieman Lab) 

Journalists who choose to stay in the profession, despite difficult conditions, often do so because they find joy in the service and camaraderie of the job, according to a new study. They also appreciated the opportunity to learn for a living. 

>> What Colorado newsrooms are paying journalists in 2024 (Inside the News in Colorado) 

Colorado now requires that all job listings include a salary range, so Corey Hutchins has compiled a look at pay rates in the state. Broadcasters tended to pay more, with salaries ranging from $65,000 to $85,000, while newspapers were paying $40,000 to $60,000. 

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> Google outlines plans to help you sort real images from fake (The Verge) 

Google’s search results will soon include an “about this image feature” that lets users know if an image was created or edited by AI tools. 

>> New from API: Challenges, opportunities for local opinion journalism and philanthropy

Expanding local opinion journalism with the help of philanthropic funding has great potential but also faces concerns about time and capacity, the role of philanthropy in local journalism today, specific considerations when mixing opinion and philanthropy and gaining facilitative skills as jobs evolve. 

>> New from API: Marking a decade of Metrics for News

Metrics for News is API’s content strategy analytics tool that helps publishers understand what, why and how audiences engage with their journalism. In its first decade, MFN has helped news organizations launch newsrooms to serve new audiences, start specialized newsletters for multilingual audiences, change beats to better engage younger audiences and experiment with social platforms to better reach key audiences, just to name a few.

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Revenue & Resilience

>> $4 for one week? $7? $10? The Washington Post tests “flexible payments” (Nieman Lab)

In an employee memo last week, Washington Post CEO Will Lewis said that the paper is launching a “flexible payments product”, which features week-long access to the Post for rates between $4 and $10 depending on the device, browser and entry point into the site. 

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What else you need to know

🗽 New York Public Radio cuts 26 positions, ends ‘Notes From America’ (Current)

🙏 Plans unveiled for National Mall memorial for slain journalists (The Washington Post) 

💸 Guardian parent company in talks over potential sale of Observer (The Guardian) 

🇬🇧 BBC News to increase coverage of U.S. election (AdWeek)