MPs Receive Training on Detecting Fake News and Misinformation
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The Sun's fabricated Hillsborough coverage blaming Liverpool fans is used as an example of "fake news" in a new MP training course on recognizing misinformation.
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Other examples include a Russian Twitter bot campaign that used a photo of the Westminster Bridge attack to stir up Islamophobic hatred.
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The course explains techniques for spotting false information, like inconsistent punctuation, polarizing language, inconsistent tone, and exaggerated claims.
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It's part of the "good information toolkit" overseen by the House of Commons library to help MPs avoid spreading disinformation.
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The initiative is endorsed by Full Fact, an organization of fact checkers and campaigners that already assists MPs in verifying information.