Foiling Fake News A Media Literacy Workshop Fake

Foiling Fake News: A Media Literacy Workshop

Fake or Not?

What is Fake News? Fake news is a type of hoax or deliberate spread of misinformation (false information), be it via the traditional print or broadcasting news media or via Internet-based social media. To qualify as fake news, a story has to be written and published with the intent to mislead in order to gain financially or politically.

It’s going to take all of us to stop the spread of fake news! Before you share think about the following…

Consider the Source Fake news can slip into your life in many ways. Be wary of sponsored content, suggested posts, and third party advertising…even on trusted sites Does a quick search for the name of the website raise any suspicions? Be careful of sites with names similar to those you trust, for example ABCnews. com. co is a fake news site which mimics the URL, design and logo of the actual news site ABCnews. com

Consider the Source Is there an author’s name attached to this piece? Go to the website’s “About” section: Does the site describe itself as a “fantasy news” or “satirical news” site? Does the “Contact Us” section include an email address that matches the domain (not a Gmail or Yahoo email address)?

Watch for Emotional Manipulation Fake news uses aggressive wording, wish-fulfillment, and other forms of emotional manipulation Watch for excessive punctuation (!!!), ALL CAPS, and hyperbolic words like “EPIC, ” “DISGUSTING, ” or “UNBELIEVABLE” Exaggerated headlines are written to play into your hopes, fears, and biases—if you feel a headline is pushing you to agree or disagree with it, dig deeper before you share

Read Beyond the Headline Anyone can claim anything in a headline. It’s within the article that these claims must be backed with evidence Take a second to look at the article before you share: is it supported with facts, citations, and quotations? Do the citations come from trusted sources? Be wary of claims about containing a secret or telling you something that “the media” of “the government” doesn’t want you to know

Check the Date Undated material and old stories regularly make the rounds on social media Old and debunked stories can crop up years later Look for a date and make sure the story is current before you share

[can we get the thing T was fooled by? ]

Look for Other Sources Fake news articles make big claims, but don’t often cite the sources of their information. Ask yourself: Does the article cite a variety of sources, including official and expert sources? Does the information appear in reports from other news outlets?

Fact Check claims on a fact-checking site such as: Snopes. com Fact. Check. org Politi. Fact. com

REMEMBER: It is easy to clone an existing website to fool people. Bots are extremely active on social media and are designed to dominate conversations and spread propaganda. Fake news and other misinformation often use a real image from an unrelated event. Debunk examples of misinformation whenever you see them. It’s good for democracy!

What Can I Do to Foil Fake News? Apply the tools you learned today Check the source Watch for emotional manipulation Read beyond the headline Check the date Look for other sources Fact check Share the tools with everyone you know Teach these tools to your children Call it out when you notice something suspicious

Fake or Not?

Sources This information was collected from: The News Literacy Project - http: //www. thenewsliteracyproject. org/ Proquest - http: //blogs. proquest. com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/01/Fake-News 1. pdf

Thank You! Democracy Day: A Public Reading and Celebration of the Constitution Saturday, May 20, 10: 00 AM – 1: 00 PM, Main Library, Joan Lorentz Park Come join us in celebrating our Constitution! There will be a participatory reading of the Constitution, plus performances, activities and more! Families welcome, picnics encouraged. Supreme Court Justice Breyer will also be giving a 30 minute talk on the Constitution in the Lecture Hall at 1: 15 PM An Evening with Dr. Daina Ramey Berry Thursday, June 29, 6: 30 PM, Main Library, Lecture Hall Dr. Ramey Berry is an Associate Professor, Department of History in African History and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her book, A Price for Their Pound of Flesh explores the economic value of enslaved people through every phase of their lives – including from before birth to after death – in the American domestic slave trades.