Shana Black, Eye on Ohio’s First Draft Fellow.
On Thursday, a Cleveland man tweeted a picture saying that that local residents had taken to the streets to end COVID-19. The internet launched a vitriolic response, condemning the city for further spreading the disease.
But no one, in fact, had marched. The tweet came from a satire account that had posted an old picture of a Cleveland Cavalier championship victory.
The incident is just one example of how misinformation can spread online, with devastating results.
But now, Eye on Ohio is excited to announce that we are teaming up with journalism nonprofit First Draft to highlight false stories circulating online- hopefully before they affect local residents and businesses.
Our First Draft Fellow, Shana Black, will cover misinformation and disinformation for Eye on Ohio, as well as passing on tips to our local media partners.
Black comes from a distinguished journalism background. A former Cleveland Metropolitan District assistant principal, she founded and runs Black Girl in CLE, a blog and podcast highlighting the city to African-American women. She was also named one of the Most Interesting People in 2019 by Cleveland Magazine.
If you have any examples of Ohio misinformation campaigns, please contact us to let us know via this form. Topics can be related to the upcoming election, COVID-19, or any other significant local event.
And don’t forget to follow us by email or on social media to keep up with our latest.
Our thanks to the Democracy Fund for supporting this project.
