“The defense of French, LOL”, “Everything will be free all the time”: perhaps you have seen images of Québec solidaire electoral signs with wacky slogans on social networks. Of course, these are photomontages, which were published a few days ago by Pravdaa page of political satire.
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If, to the trained eye, these false signs are immediately perceived for what they are, that is to say a satire, they can also sow confusion. The proof: they have been shared on social networks by some people as real solidarity signs.
No wonder: like all good satire, the publications of Pravda reflect the aesthetics of Québec solidaire and, of course, its name. And when these parodies are re-shared without attribution to the source, some people may see nothing but fire.
A matter of context and intention
Regarding the photomontages of La Pravda, is there reason to speak of misinformation? Not quite, explains Laurence Grondin-Robillard, doctoral student in communication at UQAM.
“We speak of disinformation when we publish false information with the intention of misleading. If a supporter of another party comes across a parody of the genre and reposts it as if it were true, that is misinformation,” she said.
When someone re-shares a post or piece of information thinking it’s true, that’s called misinformation.
“For someone who knows the Québec Solidaire party line well, it is obvious that it is false, even if it is not indicated that it is humorous in the publication. For someone who knows less about it, or for whom it confirms beliefs about the party, it is less obvious, ”says the doctoral student.
Social networks also tend to present us with content with which we may agree: this is called the echo chamber phenomenon.
“We are presented with publications that will confirm our beliefs or provoke the most reactions from us and this encourages the spread of false news,” she mentions.
Beware of strong emotions
What can you do to avoid getting caught up in a parody or false information or, even worse, sharing it? Above all, you have to take your time, insists Jean-Hugues Roy, professor at UQAM’s School of Media.
“Always go back as far as possible to the source of a publication before sharing it, to understand who is saying what and for what purpose,” he advises.
“If what you see triggers a strong emotion, that the information seems exaggerated, you have to stop and check, because there is a chance that we are dealing with fake news”, suggests for his by Laurence Grondin-Robillard.
It’s often a good idea to take the time to read the comments under the post you’re about to share. “Very often, through the comments, people will point out that it’s a montage and will even mention the original source of the information. It’s very useful,” she continues.
According to her, social networks could also do more to better identify parodic or unreliable accounts.