There are two things you can rely on at a news event with worldwide echo: In the social networks false and misleading information about what is happening immediately appears - and the US journalist Jane Lytvynenko publishes a tweet that reads something like this: "If you see false reports, then let me know. "
Lytvynenko works for the US news portal "Buzzfeed News" and specializes in disinformation.
When Lytvynenko posted her tweet again shortly after the news about Donald Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis, it didn't take long for users to send her viral false reports.
The journalist researched the reports and publishes the results continuously on Twitter and in an article on the "Buzzfeed News" website.
One of the particularly widespread misinformation she reports is a tweet saying that the coronavirus is now much weaker than it was months ago.
Trump's corona infection will therefore be milder than that of Boris Johnson, said a doctor who has already appeared on Fox News.
At the time, there was no reliable medical information for this remote diagnosis, which was already made on Friday.
The claim that the coronavirus is now weaker than it was months ago is simply wrong.
Lytvynenko also reports on a kind of classic social media fakes: On Friday the claim was again circulating that the TV cartoon series "The Simpsons" had predicted the death of Donald Trump in the White House in one of its episodes.
A colleague from Lytvynenko had already refuted the misinformation in 2017.
Research by the journalist repeatedly shows how false reports are shared ten thousand times - the later fact checks, on the other hand, are disseminated much less often.
Even social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube only provide information about the wrong posts in a few cases.
The viral false reports are problematic for several reasons: They ensure that users are less well informed and fuel public opinion.
Above all, however, they lead to a climate in which even unsubstantiated speculations suddenly appear plausible - such as the claim that Trump was consciously infected during an election campaign maneuver.
A climate in which Trump himself is not innocent.
A misleading video clip of a coughing Joe Biden, which was supposed to suggest that he was infected with the corona virus shortly before Trump, was shared thousands of times.
The Democratic presidential candidate tested negative for Covid-19.
The short video shows how easy it is to turn short clips on the Internet into false information: Firstly, the video is cut in such a way that Biden's throat clearing and coughing were strung together from a long speech.
Second, the original video of the speech is several days older than the misleading tweet claimed.
However, comments below the video show that many users are only too happy to believe the suggested message that Biden could be infected and maybe even infected Trump himself.
The good news: The example also shows that you can often check with just a few clicks whether a post on social media is correct.
Check whether the distributing account looks trustworthy, whether the information is also confirmed in other sources and whether you can find original sources such as the original Biden speech.
Command planes that only take off in case of war?
The information that the so-called "Doomsday Planes" rose on Friday shortly before the news of Trump's Covid 19 diagnosis also caused a stir on Facebook and Twitter.
The aircraft are mobile command posts with which the US government is supposed to remain able to act in the event of a crisis - for example due to an atomic bomb attack.
In fact, one of the Boeing special aircraft was in the air off the US east coast on Friday evening (local time), another off the west coast.
However, these are routine flights that have been planned in advance.
This was confirmed by the responsible press officer, Karen Singer.
The viral tweet, which incorrectly linked the flights to Trump's corona infection, has now been shared almost 15,000 times.
To this day, Twitter does not show a fact check.
Strange digital world: say goodbye quietly "Power off"
An episode by Patrick Beuth
I recently treated myself to new noise-canceling headphones and am very satisfied with the details.
There is only one function I don't understand: I take off the headphones and fold them up, switch them off, the voice output announces this with a "Power off" - which of course you can hardly hear because you have already taken the headphones off as mentioned and collapsed.
So what's the point of this announcement?
If I set the voice output to German, of course it doesn't say "Power off", but rather "Switch off".
The voice is then different, and somehow headphone manufacturers seem to have reached a silent agreement that the German voice must not sound overly personable.
With the current top device from a large Japanese manufacturer, she sounds like a prison guard, with the headphones of my choice at least latently annoyed.
That's why I prefer to stick with the English version.
Every announcement from "Power on" to "Phone connected" sounds so euphoric, as if I had just achieved an outstanding performance.
You are happy about every praise, especially as a journalist.
External links: three tips from other media
"The dirty tricks of world politics" (8 minutes to read): There was misinformation long before the age of social media.
This is shown in the fascinating book by political scientist Thomas Rid, which shows a "secret history of disinformation and political warfare" that goes back many decades.
The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" presents the book.
"Russia's Fancy Bear Hackers Likely Penetrated a US Federal Agency" (5 minutes to read, English): "Wired" reports on new malware that was used by hackers to attack a US government agency - and on the traces that point to Russia.
"Why Spotify Has So Many Bizarre, Generic Artists Like 'White Noise Baby Sleep'" (8 minutes to read, English): Streaming platforms like Spotify are important for aspiring artists in order to increase awareness.
This has also led to the emergence of absurd band names such as "Jazz Music Therapy for Cats" or "Natural White Noise Best", which are obviously only intended to appear particularly high in the Spotify search results.
I wish you a healthy week!
Max Hoppenstedt
