Did he really say that?

Most of us learned the value of critical thinking while we were still in public school. Instructors taught us about sources, which were trustworthy, and which were not, how to be attuned for words that signaled opinion rather than fact. Computer graphic (audio and visual) capabilities makes it difficult to know what is real, and what is not.

Given that we are at the end of an election cycle, and both sides seem to be pulling out all the possible stops, let’s first consider videos. We have all seen video that, if we stop to think about what we know about the person (not necessarily what we want to believe), we know doesn’t seem right. About a year ago, there was a video of Speaker Pelosi in which she appeared to be either intoxicated or having a stroke. Her speech was…off…and her voice sounded wrong. Since then, technicians have looked at the video (it appeared on social media, but never on mainstream news). They found the original, which was a tape of a speech she gave in California. The one which was enjoying such viewership online had been incrementally slowed, giving the surface appearance that she was impaired. When the video is carefully examined, background noises are also slowed – a clear sign that the video has been altered.

There are other things to watch for. Blinking is a natural action, and one very difficult to fake. In a slowed video, the speaker’s eyes will appear to go an unnaturally long time between blinks. Watch the video carefully, maybe even with the sound off, and see if the eyes are blinking naturally or if they seem “off.” Most of us have seen live video of major politicians. We have something of an idea of how their head and shoulders move, of how they use their hands and facial expressions in the course of speaking. A video in which the lower jaw and upper lip don’t seem to move in relation to each other, or where body language is off has probably been altered. Easy and inexpensive access to artificial intelligence software and advanced editing tools means it is relatively simple to take a video of a person speaking, change the words and release it – making it seem that he or she said something that would never be said.

Fake audio has become about as common as fake video. Anyone who has “asked SIRI” or interacted with Alexa is familiar with manipulated audio voices. Those are the cheap version; with the right software, pretty much any series of vocalizations can be made to sound like a someone else…such as a political candidate. Experts say that if you suspect an audio tract has been manipulated, listen for a whine. Very few politicians have a true “whiny” voice; if you hear the whine, chances are you are not hearing a “real” voice. Listen for enunciation. Electronics have difficulty with fricatives, or speech sounds which do not require use of the voice…think “t”, “f”, and “s”. If these sound off, you may have a fake. Lastly, consider the timing of the sentences. Each of us says a phrase, such as “Talk to me” in a different cadence, with different emphasis. If the recording you are hearing does not sound quite right, this may be what you are hearing.

Especially at a time when so many are coming at us from multiple directions, it is wise to presume that the news presented to us may at least be slanted, if not manipulated. Take the time to discover the source of the news video or article – not just the friend who told you, but look deeper. If the source is new to you, research it – are they known for honest reporting? Is any other, more reliable source reporting the same news story. The more sources that are reporting the same facts (even if there are different interpretations of them), the more likely that they are to be true.

There is actually quite a market among the criminal types for the persons with the ability to manipulate media in these ways. There is also a growing business involving spotting these and preventing them from being able to be shared. The best way to be sure that the information on which we rely is to have a healthy skepticism.

Disinformation is almost always twisted in a way to cause a visceral reaction. It plays to our emotions, causing us to want to react without thought, without consideration – and frequently with anger. Given the number of altered videos and photos which have been identified, it seems to me that it is certainly possible much of the bitter division between us is a result...not of honest disagreement over policies and strategies, but of the desire of others to instill radical loyalty to a cause or individual.

Taking the time to fact check, to think critically, to weigh, to investigate is something of a pain at times. But what would happen if we did that…before sharing or passing on things which turn out to be wrong? Because that horrible thing you think a public figure said? Double check it… he may not have ever said anything close to it.

Lisa Peterson is the County Attorney for Nolan County. Comments about this column may be e-mailed to editor@sweetwaterreporter.com