[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.76,0:00:10.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's a quote usually attributed\Nto the writer Mark Twain that goes,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.56,0:00:14.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"A lie can travel \Nhalfway around the world
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.21,0:00:17.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while the truth is putting on its shoes."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.27,0:00:18.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Funny thing about that.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.94,0:00:22.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's reason to doubt\Nthat Mark Twain ever said this at all,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.98,0:00:26.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thus, ironically, proving the point.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.00,0:00:31.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And today, the quote, whoever said it,\Nis truer than ever before.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.75,0:00:35.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In previous decades, \Nmost media with global reach
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.18,0:00:38.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,consisted of several \Nmajor newspapers and networks
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.50,0:00:43.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which had the resources\Nto gather information directly.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.06,0:00:45.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Outlets like Reuters\Nand the Associated Press
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.72,0:00:51.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that aggregate or rereport stories\Nwere relatively rare compared to today.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.92,0:00:54.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The speed with which \Ninformation spreads now
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.85,0:01:00.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has created the ideal conditions for\Na phenomenon known as circular reporting.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.62,0:01:04.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is when publication A\Npublishes misinformation,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.22,0:01:06.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,publication B reprints it,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.92,0:01:12.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and publication A then cites B\Nas the source for the information.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.81,0:01:15.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's also considered a form\Nof circular reporting
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.43,0:01:17.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when multiple publications
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.87,0:01:21.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,report on the same initial piece \Nof false information,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.12,0:01:27.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which then appears to another author as\Nhaving been verified by multiple sources.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.41,0:01:32.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For instance, the 1998 publication\Nof a single pseudoscientific paper
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.68,0:01:36.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,arguing that routine vaccination\Nof children causes autism
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.67,0:01:40.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,inspired an entire \Nantivaccination movement,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.58,0:01:44.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,despite the fact that the original paper\Nhas repeatedly been discredited
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.70,0:01:47.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by the scientific community.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.17,0:01:52.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Deliberately unvaccinated children\Nare now contracting contagious diseases
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.16,0:01:56.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that had been virtually \Neradicated in the United States,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.01,0:01:58.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with some infections proving fatal.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.80,0:02:00.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In a slightly less dire example,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.89,0:02:04.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,satirical articles that are formatted\Nto resemble real ones
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.68,0:02:09.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can also be picked up by outlets\Nnot in on the joke.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.24,0:02:14.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For example, a joke article in the\Nreputable British Medical Journal entitled
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.36,0:02:19.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Energy Expenditure in Adolescents\NPlaying New Generation Computer Games,"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.51,0:02:25.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has been referenced in serious\Nscience publications over 400 times.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.55,0:02:27.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,User-generated content, such as wikis,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.100,0:02:31.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are also a common contributer\Nto circular reporting.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.85,0:02:35.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As more writers come to rely\Non such pages for quick information,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.87,0:02:41.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,an unverified fact in a wiki page\Ncan make its way into a published article
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.14,0:02:46.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that may later be added as a citation\Nfor the very same wiki information,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.21,0:02:49.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,making it much harder to debunk.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.04,0:02:51.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Recent advances \Nin communication technology
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.52,0:02:53.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have had immeasurable benefits
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.44,0:02:57.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in breaking down the barriers\Nbetween information and people.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.52,0:02:59.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But our desire for quick answers
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.32,0:03:03.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,may overpower the desire \Nto be certain of their validity.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.34,0:03:07.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when this bias can be multiplied by\Nbillions of people around the world,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.57,0:03:11.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nearly instantaneously,\Nmore caution is in order.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.88,0:03:13.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Avoiding sensationalist media,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.83,0:03:16.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,searching for criticisms \Nof suspicious information,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.98,0:03:22.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and tracing the original source\Nof a report can help slow down a lie,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.09,0:03:25.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,giving the truth more time \Nto put on its shoes.