On the Full Fact podcast this week, we spoke to the man who coined the phrase ‘fake news’ about the role of misinformation in elections

6 Nov 2020 | Facts and news from Full Fact
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FACT CHECK
Fact checking elections: how do we protect voters from bad information?

The US election has put the work of fact checkers into the spotlight, as they work to tackle false claims and conspiracy theories.

Access to good information is vital if voters are going to make informed decisions. But how difficult is it to spot and tackle bad information in the lead up to polling day?

On our podcast this week, Full Fact Editor Tom Phillips was joined by Craig Silverman, the man who coined the phrase ‘fake news', to compare false claims and campaign tactics from elections around the world, including last year’s UK general election.

We talked about claims that appear time and time again, such as the false allegation that one of the candidates is wearing an earpiece during live debates. Not only have we seen this claim circulate in the UK, but we've also heard about it from fact checkers in Argentina.

For more insights into fact checking elections, you can listen to our latest episode below ▼
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FACT CHECK
Daily Mirror overstates the proportion of people who oppose Brexit ([link removed])

The 2 November 2020 print edition of the Daily Mirror claimed that a new poll by YouGov found that 38% of people think Brexit is a good thing, while 62% think it is bad.

This is a misrepresentation of the research—which comes from YouGov’s latest update of its EU tracker, with data gathered on 21 October and 22 October.

YouGov found that 38% of adults in Great Britain thought that, in hindsight, Britain was right to leave the European Union, 50% thought it was wrong, and 12% said they didn't know.
What does the polling say? ([link removed])
Bad information about the coronavirus puts lives at risk. Can you support independent fact checking? ([link removed])

As we enter new lockdown restrictions, bad information about the coronavirus continues to surge.

Likes and shares may seem insignificant, but when false claims spread on social media they can lead people to ignore good health advice, putting themselves and their loved ones at risk.

The more a claim spreads, the more likely it is to be believed.

Just a few pounds a month helps us call out false and harmful claims, and provide people with safe, accurate information.

But we face hundreds of false claims, and we need your help to keep up. When it’s never been more needed, can we count on you?
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FACT CHECK
Magna Carta does not allow people to ignore new coronavirus restrictions ([link removed])

A number of posts on social media have claimed that under “Article 61” of Magna Carta people have the right to lawfully dissent or rebel if they believe they’re being governed unjustly. This appears to relate to new coronavirus restrictions across England.

Other posts show a video—shared thousands of times—of a business owner in Liverpool telling the police he did not plan to shut his business, citing “Article 61” of Magna Carta.

This is not legitimate.

Magna Carta (Latin for “great charter”) is the name given to a series of royal charters issued in the 13th century, following disputes between the King and a group of rebel barons. The charters served to limit the power of the monarch and enshrine certain rights.

The original version granted powers to “assail” the monarch and “seek redress” to 25 barons in order to keep the provisions of the Magna Carta, but these powers were not granted to the population at large.

Within a year of being written, this clause was removed from subsequent versions of Magna Carta. It was never incorporated into English statutory law.
Where has this claim come from? ([link removed])
FACT CHECK
A Covid-19 vaccine is not being administered via Covid-19 nasal swab tests ([link removed])

A post, shared hundreds of times on Facebook, wrongly claims that that if you have been tested for Covid-19, you have also been vaccinated, suggesting that a vaccine is being delivered via nasal swab tests. This is not the case.

The post uses genuine screenshots of several scientific papers from the years before the pandemic which talk about the potential effectiveness of nasal vaccinations.

But these papers discuss the possibility of how effective nasal vaccinations could be, both practically and from a public health point of view. It is not proof that the swabs taken for many Covid-19 tests also work as a vaccine.

In the UK, a vaccine cannot be given to someone without consent and no vaccines are mandatory.

Vaccines also have to go through several phases of trials to ensure they are both safe and effective, and although many potential vaccines are in development, none have been approved for use yet in the UK.
Vaccine misinformation ([link removed])
MORE FACT CHECKS
Also this week...
* BBC presenters did remove their poppies midway through a broadcast ([link removed])
* This comparison of daily deaths from Covid-19 and non-Covid causes is incorrect ([link removed])
* £24,000 doesn’t represent what most Universal Credit claimants receive ([link removed])

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