Fact-Checking Disinformation and Propaganda With Polygraph
Fatima Tlis, William Echols, and Nisan Ahmado joined the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents USA, in partnership with Polygraph.info, for a virtual training program on how to identify disinformation spread by government propagandists and what we can do to identify and combat harmful false claims. Each speaker offers their unique perspectives on their beats from China and Russia to the Middle East and lessons from their careers in the field and at Polygraph.
Tlis is a reporter and fact-checker for Polygraph, Voice of America’s (VOA) independent news verification website, served as the Editor in Chief of the Regnum News Agency in Russia, and has reported for the Associated Press. Tlis has been recognized for her work in promoting freedom of the press and testified before the U.S. Congress on human rights and freedom of expression in Russia.
Echols is a reporter for Polygraph and has worked as a journalist for 10 years, beginning his career in Russia before freelancing across Southeast Asia. Echols’ work at Polygraph covers misinformation in Asian countries, specifically China.
Ahmado is a reporter for Polygraph and worked as a multimedia journalist for VOA’s Extremism Watch Desk. Ahmado has reported from Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the U.S.. Her work focuses on the Middle East and North Africa.
*The views of Tlis, Echols, and Ahmado do not reflect the views of Polygraph and VOA.
An Introduction into Russian and Chinese Disinformation
Some describe Russian tactics of spreading disinformation by following the four D’s: Distort, Dismiss, Distract, and Dismay. Echols explained that Russian propaganda no longer seeks to influence the way the world is viewed with a specific narrative but rather creates doubt by pushing many alternative narratives. Tlis describes this as a method to create chaos: “[Their goals] are at some point to make people believe that there is no truth. Truth simply doesn’t exist because everybody lies.” The way this differs from China’s disinformation efforts is that China also seeks to “sell an alternative vision of the world,” said Echols.
Challenges for Journalists Reporting on the Ground in Authoritarian Regimes
Ahmado spoke on the difficulties of fact-checking stories in the Middle East and how some governments used the COVID-19 pandemic to further restrict access to the internet. She also talked about the dangers of reporting from the ground and how misinformation and disinformation can spread because journalists face the threat of imprisonment if they try to fact-check government officials or military personnel.
“It’s a big responsibility and a privilege to be protected and at the same time be a voice and to try to look for the truth in all this propaganda. I see it as — I help journalists on the ground to say what they couldn’t say in their countries, in their locations,” said Ahmado on her work with Polygraph.
The Weaponization of Disinformation
Tlis described the different factions of Russia’s propaganda machine, which employ the use of cyberattacks, including the Foreign Intelligence Service and units within the Ministry of Defense. “Russia is very advanced in its disinformation campaigns and techniques and strategies.”
Tips for the Fact-Checking and the Verification Process
While it’s difficult for journalists covering wars to completely separate their work from their emotions, every word written must be a fact or otherwise be compromised and brought into question.
When sources are unavailable for verification, social media and journalists on the ground are useful resources.
Find fact-checking tools around the world through the Duke Reporter’s Lab.
