Scrolling Through the Wreckage

A observation

I reviewed 20 pieces of content on X this morning (posts/articles) and cross-checked a portion via AI queries and independent research.

• 70 percent (14 out of 20) outrage and despair in any form

• 30 percent (6 out of 20) initially appeared informative

• 4 out of 20 (≈67 percent of the informative subset) manipulated or imitated interviews, persons, subtly altered videos, narrative distortion

• 2 out of 20 formally correct but substantively incomplete or sensational Result: 0 percent actual knowledge gain. "Just browsing x" can end in severe trauma or lasting confusion, which serves as a basis for further misinformation.

• Time expenditure: Verification through AI queries, independent research, and re-reading added approximately *50 percent * extra time, with no substantial informational return or enjoyment.

• Rhetorical patterns observed:

• Strawman

• Appeal to emotion

• Ad hominem

• False dichotomy

• Red herring

People on X now seem only united in pain and anger, and this appears to endlessly amplify itself, rather than leading them to actively seek, question, or verify accurate sources, which in turn forms the basis for further misinformation. Influencers or “citizen journalists” sometimes approach the truth, but their reporting is often incomplete, and the line between partial accuracy and misinformation is subtle.

Shitposting must have its place (moi). But it’s striking to remember times when twitter felt different: where journalists from major newspapers explained their work, gave insight into research and access, and even disagreement could teach you something. I miss that. Without valuing and supporting local journalism, which is being displaced by the flood of AI-generated content, we are left with few safeguards against misinformation. But as always, people will find their way through this chaos. I feel that this community here on Nostr might be the seedbed for alternatives.

Fact checker sites I tried these, but with foreign language versions I could only test functionality.

USA / International https://www.factcheck.org/ — Politics / Verification of public statements https://www.politifact.com/ — Politics / Truth-O-Meter rating https://www.snopes.com/ — Social Media / Rumors, myths, viral claims https://leadstories.com/ — Social Media / Viral online claims, debunking https://www.apnews.com/ — Associated Press / News Wire & Notable Claims https://www.reuters.com/ — Reuters / Fact Check section https://www.bbc.com/ — BBC / Reality Check https://www.afp.com/ — Agence France-Presse (AFP) / Fact Check (global) https://factcheck.afp.com/ — Agence France-Presse (AFP) / Archive

Europe / Certified & Structured Fact-Checkers https://fullfact.org/ — Politics / Society, public claims https://fullfact.org/government-tracker/ — Fullfact / Government tracker https://correctiv.org/faktencheck/ — Politics / Claim vs. evidence (Germany) https://www.mimikama.org/ — Social Media / Online misinformation (Germany/Austria) https://www.dw.com/ — Deutsche Welle (DW) / Fact Check https://faktograf.hr — Politics / Public claims, rating scale (Croatia) https://factcheck.vlaanderen — Politics / EFCSN member (Flanders) https://factcheckni.org/ — Politics / EFCSN member (Northern Ireland) https://factreview.gr/ — Politics / EFCSN member (Greece) https://faktisk.no/ — Politics / EFCSN member (Norway) https://faktoje.al/ — Politics / EFCSN member (Albania) https://raskrinkavanje.ba/ — Politics / EFCSN member (Bosnia) https://raskrinkavanje.me/ — Politics / EFCSN member (Montenegro) https://viral.sapo.pt/factos/ — Social Media / EFCSN member (Portugal) https://teyit.org/ — Social Media / EFCSN member (Turkey)

Other notable independent / regional fact-checkers (Global)

https://chequeado.com/ — Politics / IFCN certified (Argentina) https://colombiacheck.com/ — Politics / IFCN certified (Colombia) https://aosfatos.org.br/ — Politics / IFCN certified (Brazil) https://ecuadorchequea.com/ — Politics / IFCN certified (Ecuador) https://boliviaverifica.bo/ — Politics / IFCN certified (Bolivia) https://www.snopes.com/tag/canada/ — Politics / Canada (AP)

Other major agencies / media https://www.ft.com/ — Financial Times / Fast Check https://www.theguardian.com/ — The Guardian / Reality Check https://nytimes.com/ — New York Times / Fact Checks