Monday, August 14, 2017

FactCzeching: How moments of boredom help us achieve more


“It flutters to the table

but leaves behind a silhouette,

a yellowish-brown rectangle

its newsprint pressed into

the front endpapers for decades,

an inkless stain, inverse bleaching,

the author’s obituary scissored

by faithful librarian or fan

casting a shadow bookplate,

its grave a greasy window
we can’t quite see through.”


'Alarm bells ringing': laundering claims rain on CBA's parade



The man who brought down the house of Ibrahim




Tax: Be careful with that big return, it could be a costly scam



It is tax time, and the prospect of getting their hands on some of the $26 billion the ATO pays out in refunds, attracts scammers like bees around honey pot
It is often much harder to get rid of books than it is to acquire them. They stick to us in that pact of need and oblivion we make with them, witnesses to a moment in our lives we will never see again. While they are still there, it is a part of us. I have noticed that many people make a note of the day, month, and year that they read a book; they build up a secret calendar. Others, before lending one, write their names on the flyleaf, note whom they lent it to in an address book, and add the date. I have known some book owners who stamp them or slip a card between their pages the way they do in public libraries. Nobody wants to mislay a book. We prefer to lose a ring, a watch, our umbrella, rather than a book whose pages we will never read again, but which retains, just in the sound of its title, a remote and perhaps long-lost emotion. 


Don't suddenly decide to jump into the first train that you see! How to visit Copenhagen on a budget. Even though I missed my last connection. Again!




Technology Timeline 2017
Arup.  Technology Timeline 2017 is an interactive pdf which showcases 20 emerging and future technologies with a high disruption potential for the architecture, engineering and construction sector.


Snopes, saved (for now)

Snopes is in a legal mess, so founder David Mikkelson turned to its community for help. The audience responded with a crowdfunding effort that raised more than $600,000 in 48 hours. The American Press Institute has some thoughts on why the appeal resonated. Poynter takes a look at what Snopes says the money will be spent on. The San Diego Union Tribune does a nice job of trying to untangle the lawsuit's claims and potential outcomes. More as this story develops — the court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 4.






Quote of the week
"At this critical time in our history, journalists are ferreting out facts despite concerted efforts to stop them, and truth is gradually emerging. Without them, our freedom would be imperiled. It is indeed the truth that makes us free. This is a good time to hug and thank a journalist."  Bob Morrison, Courier-Tribune (Asheboro, N.C.) columnist

Fact-checking fellowships
The IFCN is accepting applications for its annual fellowship program. The two fellowships, worth $2,500 each, will allow fact-checkers embed with a fact-checking organization in another country to learn about best practices they wish to adopt. The inaugural fellows worked on automation and television fact-checking.
 
Fake live feed of a real tornado
Take a short GIF of an old tornado, add some thunder sounds and put it on loop. It may not be your cup of tea but Mashable says this fake Facebook Live video reached 14 million views.

Kenya's colorful fake news
In a survey of Kenyan voters, most claimed they encountered fake news about the upcoming general election. Examples include a fake front page alleging a politician was hospitalized for a Viagra overdose.

Great list of misinformation experts
The name is a little oxymoronic, but the list is useful. We've suggested some additions; email us or tag @factchecknet with suggestions for more.

Jobs!
Full Fact, the British fact-checking charity, has five job openings.Three close on Aug. 6; the others on Aug. 14. For more information and to apply, see their site.

Fact-checkers and verificationistas unite — with this tool
Nieman Lab spotlights Check, a tool used in collaborative fact-checking efforts like Crosscheck and Electionland.


Up for debate? Our vote is D:
We're all for creativity and audience engagement, but mixing "fiction and journalism" is a content idea that gives us the heebie-jeebies. What do you think?

About that $12 banana
A "junk science" expert applauds journalists' efforts to fight misinformation, but says we should "extend the war on fake news to banish unscientific buzzwords and health fads." Here's his list of the 12 biggest science fake-outs.

Fact-checking Shark Week
Can a human really out-swim a great white shark? Watch this video from Tegna's "Verify" series. ... The Conversation helps you ruin the fun of Shark Week by watching it like a scientist.

11 quick fact-checking links
(1) The Greek daily Kathimerini looks at lessons from Global Fact 4. (2) Walking back the backfire effect — you saw it here first. (3) The Uninhabitable Earth gets annotated. (4) The bots are faking us out, says a new study. (5) The challenges of debunking within echo chambers. (6) A great video explainer of the mild panic over fake videos. (7) What does fake news have in common with venereal disease? (8) Play the new fake news card game. (9) Misinformation in the fake world of "Game of Thrones."  (10) Will this Trump bumper sticker help you fight fake news while MAGA? (11) Try this at home: A good lesson in accuracy and transparency from The Toronto Star