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Week 9/27 Field Guide to Research

Tracking a Viral Story on Tumblr

Hello readers,

Welcome to the final week of this unit! I’m excited to share my experience with you as I track a viral story and fact-check it thoroughly. As our instructor mentioned, this process involves using Buzzsumo, a powerful tool for tracking content online. Let's dive in and see what viral story we can find!

Step 1: Exploring Buzzsumo

I started by visiting Buzzsumo, as described in our textbook. Buzzsumo allows you to search for trending topics, articles, and stories across various platforms. After spending some time exploring different topics, I stumbled upon a viral story about a new scientific discovery regarding renewable energy sources.

Step 2: Verifying the Source

The first thing I did was to verify the source of the story. The article I found was hosted on a reputable science news website. I cross-checked the information with other trusted scientific sources to ensure its authenticity. It's crucial to rely on well-established sources to confirm the credibility of the story.

Step 3: Checking for Citations and Expert Opinions

Next, I looked for citations and expert opinions within the article. Reliable articles often cite scientific studies, researchers, or institutions. I checked if the story referenced peer-reviewed research papers or statements from credible experts in the field. This additional layer of verification helps confirm the accuracy of the information presented.

Step 4: Fact-Checking with Fact-Checking Websites

To further validate the story, I turned to fact-checking websites like Snopes and FactCheck.org. These platforms specialize in verifying the authenticity of viral stories and debunking misinformation. I searched for keywords related to the story and found that the information aligned with what was reported in the article.

Step 5: Analyzing Social Media Reactions

Social media platforms can provide insights into the public’s reaction to a viral story. I searched for mentions of the story on Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. By analyzing comments and discussions, I gauged public sentiment and checked if there were any credible counterarguments or concerns raised by experts in the field.

Step 6: Creating a Tumblr Blog Post

After thorough fact-checking, I felt confident in the authenticity of the viral story. I created a Tumblr blog post summarizing the discovery, including citations, expert opinions, and links to the original article and fact-checking sources. I emphasized the importance of critically evaluating information and relying on credible sources in the age of online misinformation.

In conclusion, this journey of fact-checking has reinforced the significance of reliable sources and critical thinking. In today's digital age, it's essential to be vigilant consumers of information. I hope this blog post serves as a reminder of the importance of fact-checking and empowers you, dear readers, to navigate the vast sea of information on the internet with confidence.

Thank you for joining me on this fact-checking adventure. Stay curious, stay critical, and happy fact-checking!

[kaikaipup]

Week 9/20 Reading Laterally

For this weeks assignment, I searched a profile that I am very familiar with on Instagram. The page posts very regularly and keeps up with its followers. Over the span of 4 years that I have followed this page I have see it’s following increase roughly by 4k. Which averages to about a thousand followers a year. After doing some research it’s obvious that all of the followers are real, and that the creator does a nice job targeting it’s audience. Over the past few days of following the page it has gotten at least 5 reposts a day, averaging to about 35 reposts a week. With that sort of exposure there should be no problem for the creator to not exceed another 1k followers or more by the end of this year.

The credentials on this page is the sole reason I came across the profile about 4 years ago. The creator of this page is great at analyzing the media and using their hashtags to grow their out reach. The instagram page began by posting high quality content that showcased before and after photos of lip filler procedures, along with informative captions explaining the process, and benefits. The creator ensured that each post was visually appealing and provided value to their audience.

The page collaborated with influencers, beauty bloggers, and other related social media accounts to expand their reach. These partnerships introduced her page to new audience’s interested in lip fillers, resulting in increased followers and engagement. One post states, “Who’s ready for free lip filler, a free brown sugar spray tan, and a full glam makeup?!” This targets not only lip filler clients, but spray tanners, as well as makeup gurus!

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Week 9/13

For this weeks assignment, I decided to use one of the first photo I was in disbelief to see with my own eyes. For my exploration of verifying the accuracy of a viral photo, I decided to research the famous photo titled "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper." The photo depicts 11 construction workers having lunch on a steel beam, high above the New York City skyline during the construction of the Rockefeller Center. The photo became viral after its publication in 1932, and has since become an iconic image of New York City and construction work. To verify the accuracy of the photo, I first had to determine its source. After some research, I found that the photo was taken by Charles C. Ebbets, a photographer who was hired to document the construction of the Rockefeller Center. I was able to find several articles and books that provided more information about the photo and its source, including interviews with the photographer and his colleagues. In terms of the veracity of the photo, there have been some claims that it was staged or photoshopped. However, most experts agree that the photo is authentic and was taken during the actual construction of the Rockefeller Center. Some evidence that supports this includes the fact that the workers in the photo are not wearing any safety harnesses or other safety equipment, which was common at the time. Additionally, the photo was taken using a large format camera, which would have been difficult to manipulate in a way that would create a convincing fake. Overall, my exploration of verifying the accuracy of the "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper" photo was an interesting and informative process. It highlighted the importance of verifying the sources of viral photos and the need to carefully consider the evidence before coming to any conclusions about their veracity.

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Week 9/6 assignment:

Having looked over the section on "Looking For Previous Work" in the online textbook, as per the instructions, I started by looking for something in my social media feed that I questioned. I came across a post on twitter that claimed that the COVID booster shots for 5-year-olds were being recommended. In spite of it almost being four years since the outbreak of COVID, news outlets still talk about vaccinations and what we can do to protect ourselves from this disease. I stopped in my tracks when reading over the headline, “Canadians can “booster” dosing their 5-11 with pfizer injections”. The article was posted on a Twitter page called, “breaking news”. The post had a link to an article, but I wasn’t sure if the information was accurate. No matter how much time will pass, that significant time in life changed the world we live in drastically.

Parents understand how concerning the COVID-19 pandemic can be, especially for young children. The idea of booster shots for 5 year olds may raise concerns for some parents, and it’s important to ensure that any information we come across is accurate and reliable.

To fact-check this new article, I visited Centers for Disease control prevention (CDC) Twitter to check their official recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccines for children. Upon searching their page, I found that CDC has not yet approved or recommended booster shots for children under 12 years old. While I found that the CDC has not yet recommended booster shots for children aged 5 years, it’s reassuring to know that the Pfizer vaccine has completed clinical trials for this age group. If the vaccine is approved by the FDA, it could provide an additional layer of perfection for young children against COVID-19 virus.

As I began fact, checking a piece of news, I use DuckDuckGo as a research tool and found that breaking news was a reputable source for the article in question it’s always important to verify the credibility of sources before relying on them for information.