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Disinformation watch
Apr. 24th, 2025 11:45 pmI concluded the portion of Kamala Harris could run for California Governor on Throwback Thursday above the jump by writing "I'm suspicious of the channel itself. I wonder who's behind it." This is why.
There's been a rise in the last few months of Russian-linked disinformation sites that look misleadingly like real news outlets. These may look like regular print news websites, but the content is AI-generated with a pro-Russian narrative looking to intentionally mislead users. In this special edition of Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl gives our viewers some insight, tips and tricks on how to tell what's true and what's fake.
The operation is called DoppelGanger, and the channel's name, production values, and editorial slant reminded me of the tactics described above. This time, it's a YouTube channel, not a misleading website. I'm keeping an eye on it and thinking of who to report it to beyond just YouTube. It may not be Russian, but it has an agenda, and I don't like it. And, no, I'm not naming the channel here to make it more difficult to link my suspicions with its name. Click on the link to my main blog to find out.
There's been a rise in the last few months of Russian-linked disinformation sites that look misleadingly like real news outlets. These may look like regular print news websites, but the content is AI-generated with a pro-Russian narrative looking to intentionally mislead users. In this special edition of Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl gives our viewers some insight, tips and tricks on how to tell what's true and what's fake.
The operation is called DoppelGanger, and the channel's name, production values, and editorial slant reminded me of the tactics described above. This time, it's a YouTube channel, not a misleading website. I'm keeping an eye on it and thinking of who to report it to beyond just YouTube. It may not be Russian, but it has an agenda, and I don't like it. And, no, I'm not naming the channel here to make it more difficult to link my suspicions with its name. Click on the link to my main blog to find out.
I'm sharing another person's comment on Why Does A Ghost Whale Terrorize The Japanese Coast?
Sometimes creating a legend is the best way to get people to show respect. In the 1970s Volcano National Park in Hawaii had a problem with people taking volcanic rocks home as souvenirs. It was at this point a park ranger created the legend that anybody who takes a rock from the island would be cursed by the god Pele. Every year, the park still gets rocks mailed back.
I tell this story every semester in geology, although I read on Snopes that it was a tour bus driver who came up with it. Just the same, I first heard this story when I was a Park Ranger, and I know the rangers tell it, even if they didn't originate it.
Sometimes creating a legend is the best way to get people to show respect. In the 1970s Volcano National Park in Hawaii had a problem with people taking volcanic rocks home as souvenirs. It was at this point a park ranger created the legend that anybody who takes a rock from the island would be cursed by the god Pele. Every year, the park still gets rocks mailed back.
I tell this story every semester in geology, although I read on Snopes that it was a tour bus driver who came up with it. Just the same, I first heard this story when I was a Park Ranger, and I know the rangers tell it, even if they didn't originate it.
