TED2018
Olga Yurkova: Inside the fight against Russia's fake news empire
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When facts are false, decisions are wrong, says editor and TED Fellow Olga Yurkova. To stop the spread of fake news, she and a group of journalists launched StopFake.org, which exposes biased or inaccurate reporting in order to rebuild the trust we've lost in our journalists, leaders and institutions. Learn more about the fight against misinformation as well as two critical ways we can ensure we're not reading (or sharing) fake news.
Olga Yurkova - Journalist, editor
TED Fellow Olga Yurkova is a journalist and cofounder of StopFake.org, an independent Ukrainian organization that trains an international cohort of fact-checkers in an effort to curb propaganda and misinformation in the media. Full bio
TED Fellow Olga Yurkova is a journalist and cofounder of StopFake.org, an independent Ukrainian organization that trains an international cohort of fact-checkers in an effort to curb propaganda and misinformation in the media. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
2014, July 5,
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the Ukrainian army entered
Sloviansk city in eastern Ukraine.
Sloviansk city in eastern Ukraine.
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They gathered all the locals
in Lenin Square.
in Lenin Square.
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00:25
Then, they organized
the public crucifixion
the public crucifixion
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of the son of a pro-Russia militant.
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He was only three years old.
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Refugee Galina Pyshnyak told this story
to Russia's First TV channel.
to Russia's First TV channel.
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In fact, this incident never happened.
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I visited Sloviansk.
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There is no Lenin Square.
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In reality, Galina's husband was an active
pro-Russia militant in Donbass.
pro-Russia militant in Donbass.
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00:58
This is just one of many examples.
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01:01
Ukraine has been suffering
from Russian propaganda and fake news
from Russian propaganda and fake news
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for four years now,
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but Russia is not
the only player in this space.
the only player in this space.
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Fake news is happening
all around the world.
all around the world.
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We all know about fake news.
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We see it and read it all the time.
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But the thing about fake news
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is that we don't always know
what is fake and what is real,
what is fake and what is real,
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but we base our decisions on facts
we get from the press and social media.
we get from the press and social media.
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When facts are false,
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decisions are wrong.
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A lot of people
stop believing anyone at all
stop believing anyone at all
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and this is even more dangerous.
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They easily become prey
to populists in elections,
to populists in elections,
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or even take up arms.
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Fake news is not only bad for journalism.
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It's a threat for democracy and society.
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Four years ago, unmarked soldiers
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entered the Crimean Peninsula,
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and at the same time,
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Russian media was going crazy
with fake news about Ukraine.
with fake news about Ukraine.
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So a group of journalists, including me,
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started a website
to investigate this fake news.
to investigate this fake news.
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We called it StopFake.
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The idea was simple:
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take a piece of news,
check it with verifiable proof
check it with verifiable proof
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like photos, videos
and other strong evidence.
and other strong evidence.
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If it turns out to be fake,
we put it on our website.
we put it on our website.
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Now, StopFake is an informational hub
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which analyzes propaganda
in all its phases.
in all its phases.
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We have 11 language versions,
we have millions of views,
we have millions of views,
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We have taught more than 10,000 people
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how to distinguish true from false.
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And we teach fact checkers
all around the world.
all around the world.
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StopFake has uncovered
more than 1,000 fakes about Ukraine.
more than 1,000 fakes about Ukraine.
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We've identified 18 narratives
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created using this fake news,
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such as Ukraine is a fascist state,
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a failed state,
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a state run by a junta who came to power
as a result of a coup d'état.
as a result of a coup d'état.
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We proved that it's not bad journalism;
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it's a deliberate act of misinformation.
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Fake news is a powerful weapon
in information warfare,
in information warfare,
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but there is something we can do about it.
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03:37
We all have smartphones.
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When we see something interesting,
it's often automatic.
it's often automatic.
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We just click and pass it along.
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But how can you
not be a part of fake news?
not be a part of fake news?
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First, if it's too dramatic,
too emotional, too clickbait,
too emotional, too clickbait,
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then it's very likely that it isn't true.
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04:00
The truth is boring sometimes.
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04:02
(Laughter)
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Manipulations are always sexy.
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They are designed to captivate you.
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Do your research.
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This is the second point, very simple.
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Look at other sites.
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Check out alternative news sources.
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Google names, addresses,
license plates, experts and offers.
license plates, experts and offers.
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Don't just believe, check.
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It's the only way
to stop this culture of fake news.
to stop this culture of fake news.
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This information warfare
is not only about fake news.
is not only about fake news.
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Our society depends on trust:
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trust in our institutions,
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in science,
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trust in our leaders,
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trust in our news outlets.
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And it's on us to find a way
to rebuild trust,
to rebuild trust,
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because fake news destroys it.
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So ask yourself,
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what have you lost your faith in?
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Where has trust been ruined for you?
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And what are you going to do about it?
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Thank you.
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05:09
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Olga Yurkova - Journalist, editorTED Fellow Olga Yurkova is a journalist and cofounder of StopFake.org, an independent Ukrainian organization that trains an international cohort of fact-checkers in an effort to curb propaganda and misinformation in the media.
Why you should listen
Olga Yurkova edits the Context and Opinions sections of StopFake.org. She teaches different audiences how propaganda works and how to identify fake news, consulting a range of organizations and public structures and collaborating with mainstream media as a journalist.
Yurkova explores propaganda methods and finds out new ways to overcome these new challenges. In June 2017, she and her colleagues Maarten Schenk and Jordy Nijenhuis launched a project called Forbidden Facts, which explains how fake news spreads online through clickbait headlines on Facebook that reach out to skeptical audiences.
Yurkova has 15 years of experience in journalism. She headed the local multimedia newsroom in Ternopil city for six years, becoming the market leader during that time. She then ran the Donbas and Crimea department at the national multimedia newsroom Nova Informacia for three years. She has been working as a new media trainer since 2012.
For fighting propaganda, Yurkova was included into the list of New Europe 100 and was named a TED Fellow in 2018.
Olga Yurkova | Speaker | TED.com