Collaborate with fact-checkers and news media to amplify fact-based information | Module 4

[Music] welcome to model 4 we are approaching the final stretch of the course but there are still important topics for us ahead to explore in this video I will talk about how content creators can collaborate with news media to amplify fact-based information this information aims to undermine trust in the media and create confusion on social media information for multiple sources might seem equally credible but that's really not the case as we've previously discussed in this course responsible content creators should be able to identify when something is a bot a conspiracy theory fake news or misinformation

but responsible content creators can do more than just identify this information they can also join fact Checkers and news media to amplify fact-based information by verifying its accuracy promoting trust supporting Democratic processes countering misinformation educating the public fostering accountability these roles are pivotal in upholding the integrity and information in society as we've seen throughout this course content creators like journalists can be fact-based storytellers they are not just selling products some of the most followed accounts on social media are content creators sharing or analyzing the news of the day have you ever seen content from news

daddy or hug good a crypt both of them are news creators both of them are news creators that have more followers than Legacy Media outlets in the UK and France while journalists might look at these content creators as their competition they can actually be partners in the fight against disinformation a group great example is the work facts matter NG is doing in Nigeria fostering collaborations between journalists and fact Checkers and what they refer to as super influencers these influencers use their platform to amplify fact checks published by media outlets for example during the pandemic they

partnered with a Nigerian doctor an Ender YouTuber known as AO doctor to make a comedic video about vaccines in the Philippines Raper The Independent News organization co-founded by Noel laurate Maria Resa collaborates with creators such as on Tik Tok to try to extend their factchecking reach combat disinformation and engage New and hard to reach audiences and then there's these sort of hybrid collaborations like brute India brute India says it's an independent platform producing compelling journalism in new formats they are found on all the social media platforms YouTube Facebook Instagram X Tik Tok and Snapchat as

the most viewed digital video producer in India brute India has a team of journalists and creators working to create accurate authentic and engaging News videos for Millionaires and geni at the can film festival brute India debuted its brute in brute Indian squats a group of influential creators who use the brute platform to cover the festival this kind of collaborations can enhance the Creator's credibility while also extending the reach of traditional media Outlets I've seen great journalism where a news Outlet let a content creator share their firsthand story of plastic surgery gone horribly wrong these stories

where intriguing influencers share their near to death uh plastic surgery experiences have likely reached a wider audience thanks to the involvement of content creators when I work we've had creators be a part of the team the Creator Works alongside a journalistic team that gathers all the information and the Creator delivers it on social media usually these kinds of collaborations are connected to to a theme that the Creator knows extremely well like gaming and the created content is closely connected to gaming news for example the idea of involving creators to collaborate with journalists is to enhance

credibility in a theme through an expert Creator who already understands and can reach a specific audience such as BC Gamers creators can also contact and involve journalists to research a theme that a Creator is interested in you as a Creator might not have the resources or skills to explore a particular subject in depth and the news media is interested in covering the subject this can be a win-win situation the creators audiences get more relevant quality content that is responsibly sourced and news media would get brand awareness followers or credibility among new audiences research shows that

often people are more willing to get information from someone they know to audiences influencers can sometimes feel like a friend what is referred to as parasocial relationship when a favorite Creator is involved it can influence how followers perceive and receive information uncovered through journalism but not Everyone likes the same creators and that makes it really difficult some people might have a hugely positive reaction some might hate it and that's probably a good example of polarization that is dividing us on social media if we as a media Outlet have one content creator working for us the

audience they have and reach out to might be very specific that makes it super important to be specific on what kind of audiences you are trying to reach out to and what kind of collaborations might work out and remember journalists can find ways to make their content feel more feel more approachable like I told you in the first module there are ways to create a friend-like feeling without being impartial being approachable communicative talking directly and in language that is understandable showing expertise and creating relevant connections that matter for example a very important thing here is

to understand that independent news media decide for themselves what kind of stories they want to delve into and who they want to and need to interview or collaborate to get a balanced story if you as a Creator have a lot of great ideas that you would want to feed to journalists or news media you follow don't be insulted if they want invol you if they won't involve you in the story it doesn't mean that your ideas aren't good just that there might be many other kinds of practical or ethical reasons behind it when contacting news

media for collaboration make sure you have a good pitch because collaborations between journalists and creators are very new make sure it's clear what would you be your what would be your desired role in the collaboration and how you think you could contribute something the journalists need what whatever your focus is in your content creation think of ways you can amplify fact-based content production and information it can be as small as sharing stories and information from a trusted news media Outlet to working with fact Checkers or investigative journalists to uncover a story be bold with your

ideas and remember that if a topic feels too challenging don't hesitate to ask for help uh from a trusted Source or try to develop a successful collaboration I would love to hear what kind of collabs have you seen between journalists and creators let's discuss more in the discussion forums [Music]