Editor’s Note: I think the title says it all; a pity so many are willing to do so little and instead fall for that most common of human foibles: confirmation bias. Also great to see sites like Bellingcat being highlighted – we need more of them.
A great article on the many failures of human nature and how social media stokes our biases.
In addition confirmation bias, the article points out the need for varying our reading:
“Another key technique of inoculation is refutational preemption. This boils down to predicting common counter-arguments, in order to strengthen one’s own viewpoint. This is easily practiced by conducting meaningful research and engaging in challenging conversations. Instead of solely reading news that reinforces personal and political beliefs, use it intermittently as a research tool to understand recurring themes and stories weaved together by Russian disinformation. By thinking of disinformation as unified narratives that challenge Western values, one can spot suspicious content far more efficiently. This is easily done with a periodic, five-minute scroll through any number of investigative sites, such as EUvsDisinfo, DFRLab, Graphika, or Bellingcat. “