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Experts highlight importance of ‘prebunking’ to combat climate disinformation

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With the rapid expansion of digital and AI tools, climate disinformation has become a major challenge for journalists and media organizations across the world. However, climate disinformation researchers say that “prebunking” is one of the best ways to fight it. Prebunking is a vital method used by agencies to tackle false claims before the public encounters them, helping them spot and resist manipulation. Based on inoculation theory in psychology, prebunking builds mental defenses by revealing deceptive techniques in advance. Beth Goldberg, from Google’s Jigsaw division, told National Public Radio that she sees prebunking as a shield against manipulation through early awareness. This proactive approach is increasingly used in campaigns to encourage critical thinking and combat false information with accuracy. According to The Guardian reporter Dharna Noor, the stories intended to misinform often follow clear patterns, making it easier to predict the lies they might tell. She spoke at a recent press briefing on how to prebunk climate disinformation hosted by the global journalism collaboration, Covering Climate Now, and the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition. Citing an example of the war in Gaza, Noor said, the American Petroleum Institute launched a big ad campaign, claiming concerns about oil flow from the Middle East during the war. “By understanding these patterns, journalists can address industry tactics before they reach the public.” Prebunking stories often comes before there’s even a news event, she added. Journalists can prebunk stories, a preemptive strike against misinformation, instead of waiting for people to hear false claims. A…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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