An expert from Sinclair. has called for greater media literacy and fact-checking to combat
misinformation related to the East Palestine derailment. The cautionary message comes as the
situation on the ground in the Northeastern village continues to evolve.
The derailment, which occurred on Feb. 3 and involved several Norfolk Southern train cars, has
become a hot-button issue due to the hazardous materials carried by some of the derailed
vehicles. While the surrounding area was evacuated and tests conducted to assure residents that
the village is safe, conspiracy theories about the disaster endure in online circles.
Paul Hansford, Associate Professor at Sinclair’s Department of Computer Science and
Information Technology, explained, “Misinformation on the internet is a pervasive issue that
poses a threat to our collective ability to make informed decisions. It’s all too easy to come
across false or misleading information online, and unfortunately, many people take it at face
value without data or fact-checking it first.”
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Pleas have been made by local officials and first responders in East Palestine for the spread of
misinformation to stop. Conspiracy theorists on a range of social media platforms have stoked
fears over contamination, undermining trust in the tests carried out by officials.
“One important tool for combatting misinformation on the internet is media literacy. Media
literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms, including
text, images, and videos. By teaching people how to critically evaluate the information they
encounter online, we can help them distinguish between credible sources and those that are
unreliable or even intentionally deceptive,” said Hansford.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was transitioning to
the clean-up phase of its operations in East Palestine. Additionally, the federal agency ordered
Norlkfolk Southern to pay all costs associated with the derailment. In a press release issued on
Feb. 21, EPA Administrator Michael Regan assured the nation that the company would held the
accountable.
“Let me be clear: Norfolk Southern will pay for cleaning up the mess they created and for the
trauma they’ve inflicted on this community,” said Regan. “As we transition from emergency
response, EPA will continue to coordinate closely with our local, state, and federal partners
through a whole-of-government approach to support the East Palestine community during the
remediation phase.”
Ismael Mujahid
Reporter