One week since.
April 29, 2019
It has been one week since…
It has been one week since our nation was hit by multiple deadly blasts aimed at our Sri Lankan Christian community. Hundreds of people, not just Christians, have died and many more left injured.
It’s been a week since our medical personnel have been working tirelessly to save those who are critically injured.
It’s been a week since our brave forces have been risking their lives so we will have a peaceful tomorrow. From our bomb disposal units, to our special forces tracking down those responsible for this cowardly act and to our navy who are currently washing down our churches to make sure we have a place to kneel down again.
It’s been a week since our nation’s small business owners have not been able to earn and provide for their families.
It’s been a week since living in fear for many Sri Lankans of all religions.
As we reflect on what happened, we all are in different stages of the “five stages of grief”. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I accept that a lot of people are still in the stage of anger. Anger is a necessary stage of the healing process. Be willing to feel your anger, even though it may seem endless. The more you truly feel it, the more it will begin to dissipate and the more you will heal. There are many other emotions under the anger, and you will get to them in time, but anger is the emotion we are most used to managing.[1]
Although anger is a natural stage of grievance, let us not use anger to divide our nation. We must not use anger to make this situation worse. The cowards behind the attack on our way of living, of our beliefs and our peace, want us to hate. Hate a specific group of our community. The kind of hate that justifies more killing in their books.
In the words of the great Martin Luther King Jr.;
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Let’s remember that terrorism has no religion. Terrorism has no race or culture.
We must be proud that our Sri Lankan community has handled this attack well and no counter attacks have been reported. However, there is one major flaw that many of us have been guilty of doing — the spread of fake news.
The spreading of fake news is often done without thinking about the consequences. It is often done by our people feeling scared and feeling like they should warn others. However, if we spread fake news, the consequences could be fatal. But how do we know what news is real and which are fake? Below are some tips that may help.
How to spot fake news
- Develop a critical mindset – In recent times, fake news has become a big issue. Not just in Sri Lanka. Fake news is often believable, which means it’s easy to get caught out. Many fake news stories are also written to create “shock” value.
- Develop a critical eye – Modern editing software has made it easy for people to create fake images that look professional and real. In fact, research shows that only half of us can tell when images are fake. This is very difficult but keep an eye out as there may be strange shadows in an image or sharp and uneven edges around a figure. If you still have doubts, you can use tools such as Google Reverse Image Search to check whether the image has been altered or used in the wrong context.
- Check the source – When reading an article or story from a source that isn’t familiar or known for regular reporting, do some digging. Research the publishers work. Ask questions such as; is the author a professional or well-known news agency? Is it someone’s personal opinion? Has there been a bias in the author’s previous articles? Also, check the website’s URL.
- Who else is reporting? – Often, if the news is credible, it will be reported by others. Don’t rely on one website. Check if other agencies are carrying the story such as Reuters, CNN, Ada Derena, Daily Mirror or individual reporters such as Azzam Ameen or Marianne David who I personally have found to be of high credibility and only report on stories that have been verified.
- Common sense – If a story sounds unbelievable, it probably is. Bear in mind that fake news is designed to “feed” your biases or fears. And, remember, just because a story sounds “right” and true, doesn’t mean that it is.
At the end of this article are some examples to test your skills of picking up ‘fake news’.
One important thing to note here is the above only covers the spreading of fake news. It does not cover the creation of it. People who initiate fake news, do this to create fear among our communities. To create tension, hate and divide. These people are no better than those barbarians who attacked our nation. These people should be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions.
The last week has been a gruelling trial, one where Sri Lanka and all her children have been pushed to limits never experienced before. We will remember the tears of our nation, and we will remember those who we have lost.
But now comes the decision. Rebuilding churches and hotels are easy. Our unity? That’s a different story.
Evil wins when there’s no one to fight it. Stand together, Sri Lanka. It’s the only way we win.
Do you know which news is true or fake?
Try and put the above guidelines to the test.
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mccain-bin-laden-photo/
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/california-veterans-cemetery-modesto/
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/new-deadly-spider/
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/verizon-firefighter-data-service/
- https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/michael-cohen-tweet-hillary-clinton/
[1] https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/
