  Tips for verifying accurate information and ethical storytelling on the internet. Aspiring journalists and informed citizens today will find locating reliable, accurate sources of information to be especially difficult. Unlike vintage research practices which relied on printed encyclopedias and scholarly journals for information, Google and other search algorithms prioritize website performance, content freshness & popularity over accuracy. While this has empowered many journalists who did not have a platform previously, and has made information more readily available to the general public, it has also led to misinformation spreading like wildfire. Social media platforms have become the gasoline to that wildfire, since posts can be promoted by purchasing an ad regardless of that posts accuracy. Online, a study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that falsehoods were 70% more likely to be retweeted than the truth. This makes purchasing a social media ad a very good investment if you’re looking to spread fake news.
Conspiracy theories have been around well before the internet. I can imagine it must have been more difficult to debunk a conspiracy theory back then. However, now that we have the world at our fingertips, there is no excuse to just blindly believe whatever you hear. The results of that laziness can be dangerous. “Conspiracy theories cause real harm to people, to their health, and also to their physical safety”, according to the UNESCO Director-General. “They amplify and legitimize misconceptions and reinforce stereotypes which can fuel violence and violent extremist ideologies”. In 2020, we saw a rise in conspiracy theories related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and vaccine efficacy as well. Considering the social distancing restrictions during this time, one could deduce that these conspiracy theories and misinformation about the pandemic were not spread by word of mouth. This wouldn’t be a good article on verifying information if we just took that assumption as fact. According to a study by the PEW research center, 64% of US adults say social media has a mostly negative effect on this country today. Roughly three-in-ten (28%) of those respondents cite misinformation and made-up news as the reason. Just because the internet and social media offers a convenient method for research and information sharing, doesn’t mean it is all bad. Here are some ways to fact check online information for yourself and become an ethical news source for your network. 1. Is all content created equal? According to Social Media Today, videos get more views, engagement and response than any other social posting option (text, links, photo or audio). If you are guilty of enjoying videos more than reading articles, you’re not alone. YouTube ranked highest (59%) as a preferred learning tool among Gen Z participants in a 2018 Pearson Global Research & Insights study. This is not surprising considering that YouTube is perceived as the fastest learning method available today. The important word in that last sentence is perceived. Keep in mind that anyone with a free Google account can create and upload videos. Similarly, podcasts can be added to iTunes and Spotify for free. Just because a video takes a long time and some skill to produce, does not mean the author or host adheres to ethical journalistic standards. You should fact check and scrutinize information from multimedia content the same way you do for print. 2. Question the author’s authority on the subject matter When consuming content that you find online, ask yourself the following questions:
3. Question the content sources If an article is written with not one outside source, quote or data set, that’s a pretty good clue that it’s just an opinion piece. Opinions are not fact. Look for hyperlinks in articles and click on those hyperlinks to ensure that a research study or other data source is legitimate. A common sleight of hand with fake news is to use lots of quotes rather than actual studies or data. A quote-heavy article with just one interview is a red flag, but you can apply the same verification methods as you did with the author, to the person that author is quoting in the article. Just copy and paste the name of a quoted source and look them up on LinkedIn or as a general web query. Does this person have expertise in the subject matter they are speaking on? 4. Any facts or figures should be specific and cited to a source You should always double-check any specific information in an article before sharing it. This may seem time-consuming and may limit the amount of content you consume. However as you get familiar with the journalistic standards of a certain news organization or author, you'll start to know who you can trust. Bonus points if you can click on the name of a study or a website directly from the article, the way I do in the first two paragraphs of this article. When an author hyperlinks a part of their article to another website, they are essentially providing you with the citations for where they found that information. Unfortunately, this means that Instagram is not an ideal source for news. Instagram only allows a link in the profile bio for everyday users. Any image you see with text or information on it, that does not specifically cite the source either in the picture or in that picture’s description, is likely just opinion. It is not easily verifiable information and you should fact check that post before sharing. 5. Content should be fair and balanced Always beware of an author who takes a definitive stance without providing two sides to the story. Journalistic content should present point and counter point, with equal research so that you can make up your own mind. While headlines may benefit from being shocking (clickbait), the article, video or podcast itself should have more substance. 6. Question yourself The Guardian defines unconscious bias as “situations where our background, personal experiences, societal stereotypes and cultural context can impact our decisions and actions without us realising.” We can all benefit from questioning why we believe certain things to be true. For instance, I used to think that articles from newspapers were more legitimate than multimedia content such as videos or podcasts. When I started creating videos and podcasts though, I realized that this is not the case. In fact, it takes me just a few hours to write an article whereas creating a video or podcast can take days. The additional time that goes into creating video doesn’t let multimedia content off the ethical hook. Production time & effort does not correlate with legitimacy of information. My own bias, when questioned, proved to be nonsensical. How many of your own biases can be debunked if you just take a few minutes to question them? 
COMM 304: Digital Storytelling at Manhattan College asked students to create four types of digital media to be featured on their personal portfolio websites. Offered in a completely online format due to the covid-19 pandemic, this was the first time I facilitated this course.
During our weekly synchronous meetings, we had special guests present their expertise and career insights. These guests included: ESPN Editor Kendra Allman, News 12 Long Island Reporter Kevin Vesey, Composer Neil Mellstrom, Podcaster & Audio Engineer T. Sterling Watson, Advertising Copyrighter Alvin Poyser, Steve Conca of XYZ web productions and Voiceover Artist Tony Daniels. ​ I am excited to share amazing work from my students this semester. To find out more about this course, visit www.Manhattan.edu
Neil Mellstrom creates music for films as a composer in New York. A recent graduate of Skidmore College, Neil has conducted and arranged for Skidmore’s orchestra, and worked as a technical assistant for the on-campus recording studio. He also has experience in scoring podcasts, films, TV and online media in pretty much every genre there is.
I am honored to be featured on The Picture House's At Home Education series. Check out this lesson here.
AN AWARD-WINNING INTERVIEW On Monday we shared tips for conducting a successful documentary interview. Today we have a great example for you — this documentary profile video won an NY Emmy Award for Best Arts Segment. As a digital media piece created for the web, close-up images were used for their ease of visibility on a smartphone’s smaller screen. Also, this video’s length is just under 2.5 minutes to keep the viewer’s attention all the way through — an important consideration for web-based videos. The filmmaker used documentary filmmaking techniques to weave in stories from Sean’s interview with a poetry reading performed in the same room, making creative use of the space. Inspired by Sean’s vibe, the music and transitions were carefully chosen to enhance the mood. Edited with Adobe Premiere and After Effects, this was the first of a series highlighting student award winners at CUNY. The campaign was featured in The New York Post, and on large billboards throughout New York City. This arts break is brought to you by one of our talented Picture House instructors, Laura Meoli-Ferrigon. We previously shared her Essential Tips for Quality Filmmaking at Home. Budding filmmakers would also appeciate her recent post about video equipment that won’t break the bank. Watch the video below for my behind the scenes insights and see suggested activities here. Check out my appearance on Teaching Tidbits Live with Carlos Guevara of CUNY Hostos for tips on looking fabulous on camera & surviving quarantine! Watch the video here  Whether you are recording a lecture, a selfie video for social media or just want to look fabulous in your video meetings, this essential guide explains how to use your webcam or cell phone camera to capture high quality videos that make you look like a pro!  In today’s telecommuting reality, video production has become a responsibility of us all. Not to worry- you don’t have to be a professional cinematographer to make great videos! Most cell phones, laptops and webcams are high quality enough to do a decent job. But that isn’t all that goes into delivering high-quality videos. Here are some tips on how to up your production value from home.
Thanks to CUNY School of Professional Studies for sharing this story about my husband, who was able to enter a new field of work (disability services in higher education) after almost 15 years of experience in finance and data analysis.
In this article, he shares tips for people who want to switch careers at any point in their lives. https://sps.cuny.edu/about/news/cuny-sps-graduate-serves-disabled-students His secrets to success were hard work in getting his Master's degree online while working a full time job, along with his determination and persistence in the job search post-graduation. Congratulations to Phillip for staying committed to his goal. His story is proof that doing something to help others is not always easy, but it is always worth it in the end.
Virtual Reality is a multi-billion dollar industry that is growing each day. Seemingly born out of video games and film, it is naturally catching-on as a new medium that allows for endless possibilities in entertainment, marketing, education and visual storytelling.
CTV is now an official selection in the Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival Online 2019.
Congrats to the cast and crew on this accomplishment! Watch the series video below
What do I really need to learn to get started in the media industry? Should I join the union to get a union job? How do I stay current in this quickly changing media landscape?
-Answering all those questions and more in this uncensored, exclusive interview my mentor Winston Mitchell
Sitting at a computer all day for work is a pain in the neck! ...and the back, and likely putting you at risk for a number of health issues. Today’s expert is Dr. Edward Cambridge- a Kinesiology graduate, Doctor of Chiropractic, and an expert in spine and hip biomechanics. We’re discussing the health hazards occupational sitting, and how to optimize your health by adjusting your workspace.
Are multiple screens causing you neck stiffness? Is your standing desk causing you back pain or soreness? Do we need to buy an expensive office chair with lumbar support? Learn how to adjust your workspace throughout the day with this new school of ergonomics. Dr. Cambridge explains the importance of load sharing, taking micro-breaks and knowing your unique time limit for sitting. I also ask how people with herniated discs can avoid surgery. Follow along at home with some sample stretching exercises you can use during your microbreaks. This is a must-listen for anyone with chronic pain or if you are worried about your sedentary lifestyle. LINKS: www.CambridgeSportandSpine.com www.BackFitPro.com Foundation Training: www.foundationtraining.com/about The LumbAir & other back supports: www.backfitpro.com/back-supports/ Back Mechanics (Book for patients with back pain): www.BackFitPro.com/books Clarity for your Creative Career: www.LauraMeoli.com/book Ideal Career Assessment Video: youtu.be/xc0_QiV6IFU Listen to more episodes of the LoudaVision Podcast: www.LoudaVision.com Follow me on the social media: @LoudaVision Image Credit: decade3d 
LoudaVision podcast host Laura Meoli-Ferrigon appears on WVOX radio, "Wake up Westchester" with Bob Marrone to talk about her new book, “Clarity for your Creative Career”. Learn all about how it can help you make the ideal career choices for your lifestyle. Quit the job you hate and create a life you love. Also, tips for freelancing and making money as an artist in this crazy competitive job market. Take a listen and enjoy!
Audio courtesy of WVOX Radio. LINKS: WVOX Radio: www.wvox.com Book: www.LauraMeoli.com/book Ideal Career Assessment Video: youtu.be/xc0_QiV6IFU Listen to more episodes of the LoudaVision Podcast: www.LoudaVision.com Follow me on the social media: @LoudaVision 
In December 2017, my students at the Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle (Mascaro Clubhouse) held a fundraiser to help the club in Puerto Rico which was devastated after Hurricane Maria. The 5th grade girls created a documentary film to spread awareness.
To donate to the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico, please visit bgcpr.org
Here is a look at my personal video equipment recommendations based on years of testing, trial and error. The links provided here are budget-friendly and available online for easy shipping. It is very important for me to find equipment that is not heavy or bulky. These camera items will fit nicely into the backpack provided below. All tripods and lights come with their own easy carrying cases. If you have any specific questions about equipment picks, feel free to contact me. I provide tutoring and training in all aspects of filmmaking, video production and photography.
You can find more tips and tricks on my Instagram page @LoudaVision |
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