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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV PF Hispanics Disinformation
HEADLINE: Partners in Debunks: US newsrooms work to combat fake news directed at Hispanic community
TEASER: From conspiracy theories about illegal immigrants to election information, network seeks to debunk false news
PUBLISHED AT: 9/19/24, 11:50 am
BYLINE: Cristina Caicedo Smit
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington DC, New York
VIDEOGRAPHER: Tina Trinh, Cristina Caicedo Smit
VIDEO EDITOR: Cristina Caicedo Smit
SCRIPT EDITORS: JJ, Baragona
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AFP, REUTERS
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV __ RADIO __
TRT: 2:46
VID APPROVED BY: Baragona
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: For VOA Press Freedom. Questions/review Jessica Jerreat, Cristina Caciedo Smit))
((INTRO))
Hispanic audiences in the United States rely on social media for news, but disinformation on those platforms is rife. Newsrooms and media initiatives are finding new ways to combat false news and help audiences prepare for U.S. elections. Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story.]]
[[AFP video of a voting sign in Spanish and English, someone voting and VOA video of El Tiempo Latino reporter working]]
From correcting mis- and disinformation about immigrants to explaining how and where to vote, Hispanic news outlets in the U.S. have their work cut out for them.
((For radio: Claudia Ginestra is the digital content lead for El Tiempo Latino. She says in an election year, people are searching for more information and asking more questions. “When we post a story,” she says, "we always get questions about it.”))
((Claudia Ginestra, El Tiempo Latino)) ((Female in Spanish))
“We are in an election year. People are searching for more information and asking more questions. When we post a story, we always get questions about it.”
((VOA video of Claudia working with a laptop in an office in DC and video of El Tiempo Latino newspaper))
((NARRATOR))
[[Mandatory courtesy: Instagram logo: @eltiempolatino]]
Washington-based El Tiempo Latino reports on stories important to the U.S. Hispanic community and uses social media to reach their audience.
((For radio: Ginestra says vertical content and short videos are important. They are the fastest and most efficient way to reach people, she says.))
((Claudia Ginestra, El Tiempo Latino)) ((Female in Spanish))
“Well, right now all vertical content is very important, as well as short videos. I think that is the fastest and most efficient way to reach people.”
((NARRATOR)) ((GFX of some people looking at their phones and then the logos of the three social media companies appear))
((AFP video of someone looking at their phone and social media apps))
The Pew Research Center has found Latinos predominantly access news via the internet and social media.
And a Nielsen study says this community favors WhatsApp, Telegram and Instagram.
Audiences want answers, says Ginestra.
((VOA video of El Tiempo Latino reporter working and Zommer going thru her cell and looking thru the Factqueado website and WhatsApp group))
((NARRATOR))
To provide audiences with the information they need, El Tiempo Latino uses fact-checking tools or enlists the help of its partner, Factchequeado.
Founded in 2022, the non-profit monitors mis- and disinformation in the news in the Latino and Hispanic community in the United States.
((For radio: Laura Zommer is the co-founder of Factchequeado. She says ahead of November’s elections, Latinos have challenges, as do those who seek to inform them.))
((Laura Zommer, Factchequeado Co-Founder)) ((Female in Spanish))
“Looking ahead to the November elections, Latinos have a lot of challenges, and those of us who seek to serve them and inform them also have challenges.”
((AFP photo of the AI logo))
((NARRATOR))
One of those challenges is the use of AI.
((For radio: Zommer says for example, on TikTok, they see one video published with disinformation, then two other videos with the same false narrative but a different host.))
((Laura Zommer, Factchequeado Co-Founder)) ((Female in Spanish))
“For example, in videos on TikTok, we see that a video is published with a disinformation narrative and then we see two other videos with the same narrative, but with a different host but saying exactly the same thing.”
((VOA video of Zommer looking at her cell and the Factchequeado Instagram account))
((NARRATOR))
Another challenge is keeping on top of all the disinformation.
((For radio: Zommer says one narrative that appears a lot is essentially a conspiracy theory that claims undocumented migrants vote.))
((VOA video of Laura Zommer looking thru her cell phone and YouTube videos of Factqueado explainers about elections))
((Laura Zommer, Factchequeado Co-Founder)) ((Female in Spanish))
“One narrative that appears a lot has to do with an almost conspiracy theory that claims that [undocumented] migrants are voting.”
((VOA video of Zommer sitting down and looking thru her phone, plus the FactChequeado website and El Tiempo Latino newspaper))
((NARRATOR))
Speed is key to debunking these false narratives, which travel quickly on social media, says Zommer.
But Factchequeado has a powerful tool at its disposal: collaboration. It has brought together dozens of partners in 22 states. Big and small newsrooms -- like El Tiempo Latino in Washington -- use Factchequeado to verify information.
((For radio: Marcos Porras is a journalist at El Tiempo Latino. He says politics is a topic that Latinos or Hispanics are poorly informed or misinformed about. But, he says, their audience likes to read and learn.))
((Marcos Porras, El Tiempo Latino)) ((Male in Spanish))
“Politics without a doubt is a topic where we see that Latinos or Hispanics are poorly informed or are misinformed … But we do see that our audience likes to read and learn.”
((AFP video of a voting sign and someone going inside a voting center in DC and VOA video of the Factchequeado app in Zommer cell))
((NARRATION))
Part of the efforts to educate readers includes explainer videos about the U.S. electoral process, to fill information gaps. Otherwise, bad actors can take advantage and fill that void with disinformation, says Zommer.
((Cristina Caicedo Smit, VOA News))
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