“Do you really like politics? Wanna talk about dirty tricks?”
Social networks have moved on somewhat from the relatively carefree days of 2012 and Valentina Monetta’s seminal ‘The Social Network Song (Oh Oh Uh Oh Oh).’ So has our traditional media diet.
In many ways, this has been a gift to the avid Eurovision follower, helping them keep track of what’s going on in the community. However, with an increase in sources comes an increase in people deliberately trying to mislead you for their own purposes, or just simply getting things wrong.
And in the build-up to the crucial vote on whether Israeli broadcaster KAN will remain at the Song Contest, you will likely have to wade through a lot of nonsense to get to the facts.
The Silence Will Be Filled With Risk
To put it in everyday terms, you’re not going to hear much from the EBU on what happens next, as it concentrates on informing the broadcasters. Fake information breeds in such an information vacuum, as people rush to fill the gap. You’ll have seen it during incidents such as the Southport riots in the UK, and it’s going to happen here. It’s because people want to be first to tell others something new, and because there is simply too much at stake.
Here are some tips on how to keep informed with credible information and avoid falling for the nonsense:
Who’s the source?
Some questions to ask yourself when you come across some news:
- Is it a mainstream news outlet?
- Is it a reputable Eurovision site or account which has mostly been correct in the past?
- Has it been reported by more than one site, with each site doing its own sourcing and speaking to its own contacts?
- Or is it a random Instagram account you’ve never heard of, posting something that sounds shocking?
It’s worth taking the time to look around and double-check that something is true rather than rushing to post a mistruth and spreading it further.
Reputable, mainstream outlets that may not understand Eurovision …
When you think about it, journalism can be a weird game at times.
General reporters, who may not be familiar with a particular topic, are often assigned a story and must learn about it while crafting a coherent narrative, arranging interviews, and (in the case of TV) gathering footage to accompany it. All on a really tight deadline, often measured in hours. And if they have to report quickly on social media, it’s all the worse, as you have to fire something off quickly about a subject you don’t necessarily understand.
Now, journalists are generally very good at that. However, sometimes, even with the most reputable organisations, it may be worth double-sourcing or confirming that they’ve got it right when it comes to our little world.
Account for bias
Every media outlet and every person has their own biases. Some are clear and transparent about their views of the world, some aren’t, and some try to leave their opinions at the door and present the facts for you to decide.
It would be fair to say, for example, that Israeli media sources might be pretty keen on Israel being represented at the Song Contest and may be somewhat vehement in that. Allow for that in any assessment you make of what you’re reading.
And Speaking Of Bias, Check Your Own
During each Eurovision season, have you ever been convinced that an act is going to win, and every piece of information you see seems to confirm that it is going to be more likely? And then they finish sixteenth?
You’ve probably fallen for confirmation bias, where you tend to process information based by your own existing beliefs. It’s an annoying trap to fall into when you’re trying to work out who’s going to win the Song Contest, it’s a dangerous trap when you’re trying to assess important information on a day-to-day basis. Be prepared to challenge your initial thoughts.
The Geopolitical Situation
The appearance of any country at the Eurovision Song Contest has geopolitical consequences. And different countries have different interests. Take that into account in any report you read, or any tweet you see, especially if it comes from an unfamiliar source. It may be false, or it may be a deliberate attempt to mislead to fit a political agenda.
ESC Discord shares the EBU statement to Times Of Israel on the “50 percent majority required” ruling
Verify, Then Trust
Sometimes, the best answer is to wait for a bit to confirm something is true. You aren’t Sky News or the BBC, you don’t need to race to break a story.
For example, when the decision to hold a vote was announced, KAN immediately suggested that a decision to remove them would require a 75 percent vote in favour. This appears not to be the case, with the Times of Israel reporting that the EBU had stated it would instead be a simple majority. However, it took a few hours to clarify this, at which point the initial figure had spread across the internet.
In circumstances like this, when you are dealing with a source you are unfamiliar with that has an interest in the matter (which may well have just got it wrong), it is worth double-checking other sources, or even just waiting for clarification.
When checking other sources, however, be cautious to see if they have conducted any independent research of their own, or if they have simply copied the initial source. (words like “reportedly” are often a giveaway).
Look Beyond The Headline
Once upon a time, Twitter introduced a ‘read the full article before you retweet it‘ prompt. The reason for this was quite simple – people often had an emotional, visceral reaction to an eye-catching headline, and sometimes this wasn’t backed up by the whole story.
Reading beyond a headline is crucial to ensure the story lives up to its billing, and it’s an incredibly easy way to ensure you don’t spread misinformation.
Europe, Start Voting Soon
There is a lot we don’t know about the upcoming vote, and it seems unlikely that the EBU will rush to clarify things for us.
Whether that’s the right approach is open to question. As previously pointed out, if you don’t provide information, people will look for it and stumble into false reporting.
But if you’re able to critically assess what you’re reading, it gives you the best chance to avoid making a mistake when you click and go.