The importance of knowledge in a changing world

In the world today, as our society becomes more and more globalized, it is important to have basic knowledge of what is going on around the world. The fact that the President of the most powerful country in the world is ignorant and unwilling to learn about even the simplest of situations, is scary. The US has so much power and responsibility, which is why the President should know about the reasons and contexts of these conflicts. It shows a lack of respect toward the countries of the world and all the important historic events. It is so important to have knowledge of these past events, to gain a full understanding of why the world is like it is, and also to prevent horrible things from happening again.

An article written by the New Yorker states:

Trump’s latest blunder was made an appearance in the Rose Garden with Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, on July 25th. “Lebanon is on the front lines in the fight against ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Hezbollah,” Trump pronounced. He got the basics really wrong. Hezbollah is actually part of the Lebanese government—and has been for a quarter century—with seats in parliament and Cabinet posts. Lebanon’s Christian President, Michel Aoun, has been allied with Hezbollah for a decade.

-New Yorker

Further on, the New Yorker lists some of the other mistakes Trump has made.

“The list of other Trump blunders is long. In March, he charged that Germany owed “vast sums” to the United States for NATO. It doesn’t. No NATO member pays the United States—and never has—so none is in arrears.

Also during his trip to France, in July, the President confused Napoleon Bonaparte, the diminutive emperor who invaded Russia and Egypt, with Napoleon III, who was France’s first popularly elected President, oversaw the design of modern Paris, and is still the longest-serving head of state since the French Revolution (albeit partly as an emperor, too). And that’s before delving into his demeaning tweets about other world leaders and flashpoints.”

It is also important to get the right knowledge and the right facts. Here are some tips for revealing fake news:

1. Be critical of headlines – Fake news articles often have catchy headlines in only capital letters and with exclamation points. If the headline has shocking claims that seem too incredible to be true, they’re probably fake.
2. Look closely at the URL-address – A falsified or copied URL-address can be a warning sign for fake news. Many websites that produce fake news imitate authentic news outlets by doing small changes to the URL-address. You can visit the website and compare the URL-address with established sources.
3. Inspect the source – Make sure that the news is written by a source you trust, and that has a reputation for being correct. If the news comes from an unknown organization, you can check the about-section to find out more.
4. Be aware of unusual editing – You should be skeptical if the text you are reading has a lot of spelling mistakes and an unusual layout.
5. Look at the pictures – fake news often uses pictures which are photoshopped or manipulated in some other way.
6. Check the dates – fake news can use dates and timetables that are incorrect.
7. Check the evidence.– Check the writer’s sources to confirm that they are correct. If the news lacks evidence or puts their trust in unknown experts, it could testify fake news.
8. Check other articles.– If there are no other news sources reporting something about the news, it could indicate that its fake. If the news is reported by several sources you trust, there’s a bigger possibility that it’s true.
9. Is the news just a joke?– Sometimes it might be difficult to tell apart the fake news and humor or satire. Check if the source is known for making parodies and if the details and style indicate that is is just supposed to be a joke.
10. Some news is fail on purpose- Be critical with the news you read, and only share the news you know are trustworthy.

In our opinion, number 2, 7 and 8 are the most important tips to reveal if the news is fake. These tips are the most important because they are the tips that will assure you to figure out if the news is fake or not in the best way.

Written in cooperation with Camilla and Nora.