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Placing ads next to suitable, relevant content targets your ideal demographic and increases purchase intent.

Brand Suitability: What It Is and Why It's Important

Introduction&nbsp;In 2023, inflation has been a hot topic in the United States, dominating headlines and causing concern for many. To help you navigate the plethora of information on the internet, Seekr has analyzed 2,341 articles from 317 different publishers to provide insights into the reliability of U.S. inflation coverage.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Seekr Score, our AI tool that assesses the credibility of articles, has uncovered some findings you might want to dive into. In this blog post, we'll explore the highs and lows of inflation coverage, highlighting the impact of clickbait and subjectivity on the reliability of these articles.&nbsp;Seekr Score Overview&nbsp;The Seekr Score is a powerful metric that evaluates the reliability of news articles by assessing multiple Score Factors within an article’s contents: Subjectivity, Clickbait, Personal Attack, Title exaggeration, and Byline.&nbsp;&nbsp;Overall Seekr Score Ratings on Inflation&nbsp;Let’s get started with some stats on overall reliability. Seekr AI analyzed each of the 2,341 articles and gave them a Seekr Score. Then, we compiled the data to give you this snapshot.&nbsp;Average Seekr Score distribution across articles:&nbsp;<ul><li>Very High: 26.5%&nbsp;</li><li>High: 25.2%&nbsp;</li><li>Medium: 25.6%&nbsp;</li><li>Low: 20.2%&nbsp;</li><li>Very Low: 2.5%&nbsp;</li></ul><img src="https://seekr-prod-cms-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2023_11_15_at_9_35_26_AM_fc12f2de0e.png" alt="Screenshot 2023-11-15 at 9.35.26 AM.png">Here's a breakdown of how the Score Factors showed up in inflation coverage:&nbsp;Subjectivity Remains High: Throughout 2023, subjectivity has consistently played a significant role in the Seekr Score. This suggests that articles often contain opinions and perspectives that stray beyond reporting facts, which can impact their reliability and objectivity.&nbsp;Declining Clickbait: Earlier in the year, clickbait was more prevalent in inflation-related articles. However, since May, we have seen a downward trend in this area. This is a positive sign, as clickbait attempts to mislead readers and cause an emotional reaction.&nbsp;Minimal Personal Attacks and Title Exaggeration: Personal attacks and title exaggeration have remained at a low presence in the articles analyzed. This means that authors have generally refrained from resorting to sensationalism and ad hominem attacks.&nbsp;<img src="https://seekr-prod-cms-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2023_11_15_at_9_37_31_AM_83a9160ca9.png" alt="Screenshot 2023-11-15 at 9.37.31 AM.png"><img src="https://seekr-prod-cms-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2023_11_15_at_9_38_52_AM_cd35c0cdc7.png" alt="Screenshot 2023-11-15 at 9.38.52 AM.png">Publishers with the Most Reliable Coverage on Inflation&nbsp;Seekr AI took a look at which domains were producing consistently reliable information on inflation this year. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/">Yahoo Finance</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/">Business Insider,</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.marketbeat.com/">MarketBeat,</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/us">The Independent</a> earned the highest Seekr Scores for their reporting on the topic.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://seekr-prod-cms-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/Screenshot_2023_11_15_at_9_40_47_AM_38169da3a6.png" alt="Screenshot 2023-11-15 at 9.40.47 AM.png">Examples of Inflation Article Titles with High Clickbait&nbsp;To understand how clickbait can affect the Seekr Score and the overall reliability of articles, here are some examples of headlines that were penalized for this factor:&nbsp;"10 Signs That the Mainstream Media Is Not Telling You the Truth About the Economy"&nbsp;"Ian Bremmer: What the US and Canada Really Want From Each Other"&nbsp;"Where Is the Promised Recession? Be Careful What You Wish For..."&nbsp;These headlines are designed to capture the reader's attention, often by using sensational language or making exaggerated claims. While they may attract clicks, they can mislead readers and contribute to lower reliability.&nbsp;Seekr Score in Action&nbsp;In 2023, inflation has become a defining economic issue in the United States, and as a result, coverage has spanned the news sphere. Seekr's analysis of these articles reveals that the reliability of online content can fluctuate significantly. To make well-informed decisions about your financial outlook, it can help to cut through the speculation and access the most reliable information.&nbsp;By using Seekr, you can easily identify the most trustworthy sources and articles, ensuring that you stay well-informed about the latest developments in U.S. inflation. Seekr's comprehensive analysis empowers you to separate fact from theory in a sea of information.&nbsp;Conclusion&nbsp;These Seekr Insights on inflation coverage in 2023 underscores the importance of reliable information in times of economic uncertainty. While subjectivity remains a consistent issue, the decline in clickbait is a positive sign. By being aware of these factors and using Seekr's tools, you can make informed decisions that are grounded in trustworthy information. Stay updated with top-rated news and be better prepared for the evolving economic landscape.&nbsp;<a target="_self" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.seekr.com/search?tab=news&amp;trending=U.S.+inflation">Read Top-Rated Inflation News</a>

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In 2023, inflation has been a hot topic in the United States, dominating headlines and causing concern for many. To help you navigate the plethora of information on the internet, Seekr has analyzed 2,341 articles from 317 different publishers to provide insights into the reliability of U.S. inflation coverage.

The Highs and Lows of Inflation Coverage: A Seekr Insights Report

The podcast industry is booming, and brands and advertisers are keen on tapping into the lucrative advertising market. There’s only one problem: with the increasing diversity of content and the <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.seekr.com/blog/38">risk of exposure to off-brand or damaging material</a>, brand marketers need a powerful metric that evaluates podcast content for brand safety and suitability. Enter the Seekr™ Civility Score™ – an innovative AI-powered evaluation metric that scores podcast civility with nuance.<h4>Boosting Brand Integrity and Empowering Advertisers with the Seekr™ Civility Score™ </h4><a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seekr-and-oxford-road-launch-groundbreaking-civility-score-for-podcasts-301876319.html">Seekr developed the Civility Score™ in partnership with Oxford Road</a> to help brands navigate the podcast advertising landscape with confidence. This powerful metric objectively measures and quantifies the volume and intensity of personal attacks within the nation's top podcasts.Advertisers can maximize brand affinity and minimize exposure to potentially damaging content with the <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.seekr.com/audio-score">Civility Score™</a>. Its nuanced evaluation goes beyond traditional topic and keyword analysis and empowers marketers to make informed decisions based on the spirit of the content they’re sponsoring.<h4>From Analysis Paralysis to Data-Driven Confidence: Making Informed Decisions with the Civility Score™</h4>Pat Condo, Seekr CEO, emphasizes how important it is for brands to have a straightforward and effective way to shield themselves from high-risk content. Now they have that at their fingertips with the Civility Score™.Using AI technology trained with the highest journalistic standards, this innovative metric measures brand suitability within the context of conversations. It analyzes hours of podcast content to give advertisers actionable data insights to inform their strategy. Brand marketers can harness this technology to:<ul><li>Set civility tolerances</li><li>Elevate their strategy</li><li>Improve efficiency</li><li>Optimize exposure to high-quality content</li><li>Boost brand affinity with the right audiences</li></ul><h4>Uniting Brands, Consumers, and Creators: The Power of Civility</h4>Daniel Granger, CEO of Oxford Road, states, “What the industry needs most is one metric that transcends subjectivity and promotes a value around which we can all align: respect for others. The strength of the Civility Score™ is its simplicity, as all brands, consumers, and creators can align around this expression of the Golden Rule.” Now advertisers can celebrate the most responsible voices in the industry, rather than simply the loudest.<h4>Embrace the Seekr™ Civility Score™ and Unleash the Power of Podcast Advertising</h4>Gone are the days of analysis paralysis and avoiding topics and keywords. Advertisers and brand marketers can now gain a deep understanding of the content they sponsor and drive decisions with powerful data using the Seekr™ Civility Score™. This score represents a new era in brand suitability, where actionable data insights reward the most responsible voices and drive long-term success in podcast advertising.Want more data to drive your podcast strategy? Reach out to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hpidgeon@seekr.com">hpidgeon@seekr.com</a> today to learn how to level up your podcast advertising with the <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.seekr.com/audio-score">Seekr™ Civility Score™</a>!

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The podcast industry is booming, and brands and advertisers are keen on tapping into the lucrative advertising market. There’s only one problem: with the increasing diversity of content and the risk of exposure to off-brand or damaging material, brand marketers need a powerful metric that evaluates podcast content for brand safety and suitability. 

Enter the Seekr™ Civility Score™ – an innovative AI-powered evaluation metric that scores podcast civility with nuance.

Revolutionizing Podcast Advertising with Data-Driven Brand Safety Measurement: The Seekr™ Civility Score™

In a society that constantly focuses on “what’s new” and “what’s next”, it may come as a surprise that the world’s earliest form of communication — spoken word — continues to win with audiences. Did you know that <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nationalpublicmedia.com/uploads/2021/11/The_Spoken_Word_Audio_Report_2021_For_Download.pdf">75% of the U.S. population listens to spoken word content monthly</a>? Podcasts are the main driver of that metric, <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://influencermarketinghub.com/podcast-statistics/#toc-1">with more the 460 million global listeners</a>.Podcast Listenership Continues to Grow at Exponential Rates&nbsp;Podcast listenership shows no signs of slowing down, with listenership expected to <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://influencermarketinghub.com/podcast-statistics/#toc-1">grow to 504.9 million by the end of 2024</a>. Content creators have responded to surging demand with over <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcastindex.org/stats?utm_source=podnews.net&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=podnews.net:2022-03-10">4.1 million podcast shows</a> and counting.Rising Listenership Means More Advertising Opportunities&nbsp;Brand marketers have noticed the unique opportunity that podcasts present. They are a prime media outlet for brands to connect with their audiences nationally and share their message in an organic way. In fact, the podcast ad market is growing 2x faster than digital advertising overall and is <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.iab.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IAB_2022_Podcast_Advertising_Revenue_Report_2023.pdf">expected to double to $4B annually by 2025</a>.With audience, publishers, marketers, and brands all on board the podcast rocket ship, there should be nothing to worry about, right? Well, there are some important issues surfacing with brand suitability and content evaluation.&nbsp;The Problem with Podcast Advertising: Hours of Uncensored Content&nbsp;With 4.1+ million podcasts in circulation, there is A LOT of content. Podcast content spans across genres, taking many different tones, while covering an array of topics. This presents a challenge to brands: they need to reach their audiences in an authentic way while upholding their brand’s integrity and avoiding harmful or uncivil content.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a medium that is ever-expanding, nuanced, and increasingly complex, how can brands maximize advertising opportunities while minimizing risk? To answer that question, brands must look beyond today’s conventional brand suitability frameworks. &nbsp;The Key Problems with Brand Suitability Measurement Today:&nbsp;<ul><li>Brand marketers have either no data or too much data with little to no confidence in what it means for their marketing plan.&nbsp;</li><li>Topic and keyword blocking lacks the context and insight needed to be an effective brand suitability strategy.&nbsp;</li><li>Manual review of content harbors innate bias and is not a scalable solution to keep up with the thousands of hours of content being produced.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>The current solutions do not address The Golden Rule: treating others with respect and civility.&nbsp;</li></ul>What’s the impact of these problems? Marketers end up avoiding entire topics and keywords, rather than focusing on the spirit of the content they're sponsoring and making informed, data-driven decisions.Brand Suitability Measurement in Podcast Advertising Needs an UpgradePodcast advertising needs one simple metric that transcends subjectivity and confusion. The industry needs to employ technology to measure content with nuance and promote a value that brands, consumers, and creators can all align on: respect for others.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Podcast advertising needs one simple metric that transcends subjectivity and confusion. The industry needs to employ technology to measure content with nuance and promote a value that brands, consumers, and creators can all align on: respect for others.  

Brand Suitability in Podcast Advertising: A Matter of Respect 

So much of our youth’s time is spent online – <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-2019">an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes per day for youth aged 8 to 18</a>. It’s time we recognize that digital media literacy skills truly are survival skills. Equipping young explorers with the tools to face the digital environment can have a massive impact on future generations. <a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/report-80-of-parents-favor-prioritizing-digital-literacy">In fact, 80% of parents favor prioritizing digital literacy.</a>&nbsp;"With so much of our time spent online and misinformation spreading like wildfire, conquering the digital environment really is the next frontier, I'm excited to partner with Seekr to create the next generation of digital young explorers." - Bear Grylls&nbsp;Introducing Mission Seekr: Monthly Challenges with a Global Impact&nbsp;Enter <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://MissionSeekr.com">MissionSeekr.com</a>, a first-of-its-kind educational and adventure platform for digital explorers. Mission Seekr will arm the next generation with critical media literacy tools and the confidence to safely navigate the online landscape through fun-filled, educational digital adventures.&nbsp;How Can I Join the Missions?&nbsp;Bear Grylls will assign missions at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://MissionSeekr.com">MissionSeekr.com</a> that shine a light on environmental and humanitarian topics. Each month, he’ll issue a new challenge that involves both a digital and outdoor exploration component.&nbsp;Seekr will power digital exploration on the mission topic, providing top-rated articles and reliable content on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://missionseekr.com">MissionSeekr.com</a>.&nbsp;Bear Grylls has recruited his Adventure Ambassadors to kick off each mission with an inspiring video that captures their own adventures. Check them out and follow their lead!&nbsp;Once you’ve done your research and executed your strategy, you’ll make a video showing what you did to accomplish your mission. Submit your video <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:missionseek@seekr.com">HERE</a> or on social, tagging <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/beargrylls/">@beargrylls</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/missionseekr/">@missionseekr</a> (on Instagram). Bear will re-share some of his favorites to the Mission Seekr website!&nbsp;&nbsp;Ready to Start Your Mission?&nbsp;&nbsp;Head to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://MissionSeekr.com">MissionSeekr.com</a> to join in! <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.missionseekr.com/mission/making-waves">Mission 1: Making Waves</a> is LIVE – and we want to see how you investigate the ways we can all make a difference to the threats facing our ocean today.&nbsp;&nbsp;Remember to fuel your mission with information from the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.missionseekr.com/news-feed/making-waves">Seekr Mission News Feed</a>. It’s powered by Seekr’s proprietary AI technology that scores content for quality &amp; reliability, so you know that you’re becoming a better-informed digital explorer!&nbsp;<a target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.missionseekr.com/">Start your mission now!</a>

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Seekr has teamed up with Bear Grylls, the most recognizable adventurer on the planet, to conquer the digital environment for the next generation.   

Start Your Media Literacy Journey Now with Bear Grylls at MissionSeekr.com

Seekr was built with one mission: to streamline access to the most reliable information online. As a result, we’re always listening and refining to ensure every aspect of the experience on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Seekr.com">Seekr.com</a> is delivering on our promise. Afterall, clarity is key. &nbsp; &nbsp; In this update, our number one goal was to make sure the Seekr Score was easy to understand and use, which dictated many of the biggest changes. We also prioritized an experience that made news discovery simple and customizable. And to top it all off, we gave ourselves a pretty nice makeover! &nbsp; &nbsp; After you’ve had a chance to experience the updates, please tell us what you think in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://survey.hsforms.com/1fhYG071qS-66Ti9qN68brAc3o42">this short survey. </a>&nbsp; Update Priority #1: Seekr Score Understanding &amp; Ease of Use Very low – Very high bucket sorting: The Seekr Score is sorted into five levels of reliability from very low to very high. This helps to&nbsp;align the number with a meaning and offer perspective at a glance. &nbsp;Numeric representation: The Seekr Score is still represented as a number, which you can view on the score breakdown popup. However, it is now a number from 1 to 100 rather than 1 to 10. This helps showcase the granularity of the evaluation. Articles can exist in the same bucket but still have different scores. &nbsp; &nbsp; Color meaning: Score buckets from very low to very high are also signified by color from orange to teal, which is now visible on the scored search results&nbsp;for quick scanning and processing.&nbsp;Score explanations: We wanted to be transparent about what “reliable” means and how that impacts the Seekr Score, so we wrote definitions for each reliability bucket. Of course, articles are scored on an individual basis, and each impacted differently, but the definitions are intended to provide a general guideline. See below: &nbsp; &nbsp; Very High: Article uses straight reporting, meaning it tells us what happened with very little influential, predictive, or opinionated terminology associated with the Seekr Score Factors. It may even be a primary source for other publications, which may be evident in the&nbsp;byline. When articles don’t stray from the most essential information (who, what, when), it’s less likely that our AI will detect negative score factors. This is what an A+ looks like! (Note: Opinion pieces are expected to have some subjectivity. That does&nbsp;impact the score; however, less severely than other article types such as beat reporting.)&nbsp;High: Article uses&nbsp;straight reporting, but&nbsp;our AI may be&nbsp;detecting some analysis terminology via the Score Factors . It is common in reporting to use facts to support some assumptions, opinions, predictions to understand the why. Our AI picks up on that but has not detected levels of analysis that indicate the author&nbsp;is straying far from the topic. It’s also possible the problem is simply that there is no author! A missing byline can impact an otherwise high-quality article. Not an A+ but predicted as still quite informative and reliable.&nbsp;Medium: This article is sprinkled with generally informative useful statements; however, it’s not considered an authoritative source. Here’s why: it could lack a byline and/or our AI is detecting levels of analysis terminology that could indicate attempts to persuade, a bias, or deviation from the main topic as shown by our Score Factors. It’s not likely a terrible read, but you may want to consider cross-referencing with another article to ensure you’re getting the bigger picture. Not too shabby—but keep your wits about you.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Low: Rather than to inform, this article’s intent may be to misrepresent, draw clicks, or provoke a response. Reader may still find useful information in the article; however, the way the&nbsp; statements are supported is considered sloppy. This article has high amounts of terminology flagged by Seekr Score Factors that demonstrate low-level analysis which are often boldly represented in a headline and throughout the article. Reader be warned.&nbsp;&nbsp;Very Low: Rather than to inform, the intent of this article is rather extreme in its attempt to support an agenda. The tactics are deceptive with little concern of presenting valid, straight reporting. In short, you deserve much better. &nbsp; &nbsp;* Seekr AI can detect direct statements but cannot determine the veracity (level of truth) behind those statements. For example, “The sky turned green on Wednesday, April 5th, 2023” is a statement that does not have any opinionated, predictive, or influential language, however it is not true. Seekr does not tell readers what is true or not true.&nbsp; Update Priority #2: Simple &amp; Customizable News Search &amp; Discovery: &nbsp; Filters: Our Filters are now front and center, site wide where appropriate, to quickly and easily customize your search experience. Choose to filter by Seekr Score or by Political Lean. Finding reliable content and comparing perspectives is now easier. &nbsp; &nbsp; News Search: The Seekr Search bar defaults to a news search to ensure you’re getting scored content from the start. Don’t fret if that’s not what you’re looking for. The search filters are now built into the search bar, so you can always search for anything at Seekr. &nbsp;Clusters: Our top news stories are now featured in clusters of three for more coverage and perspectives at a glance. To dig a little deeper, just click the “See more coverage” button. &nbsp; &nbsp; We’re excited about our work to support a better-informed society. We hope you’ll take some time to look around and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://survey.hsforms.com/1fhYG071qS-66Ti9qN68brAc3o42">tell us what you think! &nbsp;</a>

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Seekr was built with one mission: to streamline access to the most reliable information online. In this update, our number one goal was to make sure the Seekr Score was easy to understand and use. We also prioritized an experience that made news discovery simple and customizable.  

Seekr Update: A New Score (+More) For the Win! 

It might not be evident, but we are all operating in some sort of filter bubble. Like the saying about living inside a bubble, which means people don’t understand anything outside of it, a filter bubble is a group we live in online, in our digital and social media interactions. It’s where we end up, unintentionally, with like-minded people. Being trapped in these boundaries can lead us to make poor decisions and cause harm.&nbsp;&nbsp;Contrary to what the world feels like right now, Rutger Bergman lays out in his book Humankind: A Hopeful History that humans, by nature, are friendly and want to get along and cooperate. Bergman’s book has made waves as being radical. But his claims make sense. We like to get along. We like when people agree with us. It makes us feel like we are connected and belong with each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;Having a tribe to call our own makes us happy. And to stay in that tribe, we spend much time trying to fit in, keep up with the Joneses, stay relevant, and not lose.&nbsp; Some of us might have extreme FOMO, some not. But no one likes feeling left out. We are social creatures, and we like having friends. And everyone wants to be liked.&nbsp;When Facebook first took off in the early 2000s, it was the trendy new hangout where people connected with new, old, and forgotten friends. If you weren’t around then, were shy of it, or don’t remember, Facebook existed to share what was happening in our lives, post photos (not even of ourselves!), and share good times.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When it came to news, at that time, if we were interested, we got our news from newspapers, TV, and radio, and no matter what the story, we didn’t have the option of a Like button. If we didn’t like it, we yelled at the TV. And if we did like it, we didn’t have a way of sharing it with many people. Our views were shared over lunch, and more heated debates may have been reserved for after-work drinks.&nbsp;Fast forward to 13 years past the activation of the Like button, and 40% of Americans between 18-40 read news on Facebook. According to a 2021 Pew research study on news consumption across social media, nearly half of Americans get their news from social media.&nbsp;Now everyone's thoughts on anything from court drama news to heart-string-tugging news to bad-service-at-a-local-restaurant news are validated with likes and shares, algorithmically multiplied, promoted, and promoted some more.&nbsp;Herein lies the basis of our problem. We were once passive news consumers, but as active digital news consumers, we click on the news we want versus the information we need. We desperately need the truth, but the news we receive is often far from it.&nbsp; Add to that being trapped in our filter bubble, and it’s an echo chamber where our views are parroted back to us. So, when the tiniest bit of false information starts circulating, it just takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ask yourself if you’re in a filter bubble. Is it clear to you? Does everyone around you share similar views? Here’s an experiment: Ask someone you know well to see their social media feed. Would you ever think to ask to look at someone else’s social media feed with views you disagree with? If you know someone like that, try it out and see what you see.&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s only human to be afflicted with confirmation bias, the psychological term for when we focus on what confirms our beliefs and ignore views that contradict them. And once we identify that we have confirmation biases, we can work to break free from them.&nbsp;What makes News the News?&nbsp;&nbsp;In Journalism 101, students learn what gives news its news value. Several characteristics, like relevance, novelty, timeliness, level of conflict, etc., provide a story its news value. Today, shareability is the main characteristic that differs between online news and past news formats. The pressure for clicks and shares has become the internet’s top priority.&nbsp;&nbsp;Social media, as it was established, was about sharing. Ordinary people have become news producers, and it’s no different; they also want engagement, and algorithms will promote that. Australian communications and media scholar Axel Bruns created the phrase Produsage: When the internet users produce the product they once consumed, whether it’s open source software, TikTok videos, or a blog. Since the produsers are likelier to share content that creates a shock or is emotional, spreading misinformation has a snowball effect. See the equation below that demonstrates this:&nbsp;(Echo Chambers &amp; Polarization) + (‘Produsage’ Phenomenon) = Misinformation Petri Dish&nbsp;The consequences of this petri dish have not been undocumented. It’s been two years since the release of the Social Dilemma documentary on Netflix, and one year since Frances Haugen’s whistleblower testimony against Facebook, saying the company prioritizes growth and profits over the wellbeing of children and our democracy. We know the adverse effects of excessive social media use: addiction, mental health issues, extremist views, isolation, polarization, and more. But what can we do about it?&nbsp;Try to rewrite the calculation above to find a healthier equation.&nbsp;&nbsp;(Burst your bubble) + (Verify the Sources of your news) = Get a Handle on Misinformation&nbsp;Many other variables can add up to becoming more media literate online. This blog and our work at Seekr try to solve the problem by tackling as many variables as possible. But no matter how we mix up the equation, know that the responsibility is individual; You always have a choice.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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It might not be evident, but we are all operating in some sort of filter bubble. Like the saying about living inside a bubble, which means people don’t understand anything outside of it, a filter bubble is a group we live in online, in our digital and social media interactions.

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