Do you regularly read past headlines, or headlines alone are usually enough?
A recent Sunday News headline shows the importance of reading beyond headlines.
It read: “Government considers another currency”.
A photo of the headline’s street banner was shared widely on social media, eliciting strong debate. Some social media users criticized the government for once again introducing another currency, when the Zimbabwe dollar was only reintroduced in 2019.
But was this banner about a new currency? No.
The actual article quoted an official saying Zimbabwe was assessing whether it can introduce cryptocurrency, a form of digital currency.
The article said: “The Government is weighing options of adopting cryptocurrency as a legal payment service and is consulting various stakeholders on the merits of the virtual currency.”
The official quoted was Charles Wekwete, Head of the e-government Technology Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet. He was speaking at a Computer Society of Zimbabwe meeting in Victoria Falls on November 6.
Wekwete was responding to a question on whether will consider cryptocurrency.
The article quoted him as saying: “Government has put in place mechanism to try and gather views from various sectors of society in order to eventually formulate policies.”
On Tuesday, November 9, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, responding to reaction around the headline, said there were no plans for a new currency other than the Zimbabwe dollar. She added: “Like most countries in the world, the government of Zimbabwe through its financial technology FINTECH group, is studying Central Banking Digital Currency (CBDC) as opposed to cryptocurrency, bitcoin, or any currency of derivatives.”
Headlines: What to look for
By sharing a headline or link without actually reading it, one can miss key facts. This may spread misinformation. Because of this, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter now ask users to first read an article before sharing it.
What to do?
First, always read beyond the headline before sharing.
Even legitimate news sources may use misleading headlines, sometimes deliberately, to gain attention. Before sharing, make sure to read the article itself to make sure that it matches the headline.
Secondly, check your emotional reaction.
Headlines can be crafted to bring out readers’ emotions. Research shows that content that causes anger is shared faster than any other content.
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