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How do you avoid information that may not be credible for using in your class projects, research and even social media posts?

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Learner IV. A. 3. =
Learners act on an information need by:
3. Making critical choices about information sources to use.

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Description of Padlet that shows students how to recognize fake news.

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Read the article to find the six best practices to use for deciding if an article is fake news.

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Fake news stories can have real-life consequences. On Sunday, police said a man with a rifle who claimed to be "self-investigating" a baseless online conspiracy theory entered a Washington, D.C., pizzeria and fired the weapon inside the restaurant.

So, yes, fake news is a big problem.

These stories have gotten a lot of attention, with headlines claiming Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump in November's election and sites like American News sharing misleading stories or taking quotes out of context. And when sites like DC Gazette share stories about people who allegedly investigated the Clinton family being found dead, the stories go viral and some people believe them. Again, these stories are not true in any way.

Stopping the proliferation of fake news isn't just the responsibility of the platforms used to spread it. Those who consume news also need to find ways of determining if what they're reading is true. We offer several tips below.

The idea is that people should have a fundamental sense of media literacy. And based on a study recently released by Stanford University researchers, many people don't.

Sam Wineburg, a professor of education and history at Stanford and the lead author of the study, said a solution is for all readers to read like fact checkers. But how do fact checkers do their job?

Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, says fact checkers have a process for each claim they deal with.

"You'll isolate a claim that has something that can be objectively verified, you will seek the best primary sources in that topic. Find whether they match or refute or prove the claim being made, and then present with all limitations the data and what the data says about the claim being made," Mantzarlis says.

That's the framework for professionals, but there are ways for everyone to do a bit of fact checking themselves.

Melissa Zimdars is an assistant professor of communication and media at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. When she saw her students referencing questionable sources, she created and shared a document with them of how to think about sources, as well as a list of misleading, satirical and fake sites.

Both Mantzarlis and Zimdars agreed there are a few best practices people can use when reading articles online.
Pay attention to the domain and URL
Established news organizations usually own their domains and they have a standard look that you are probably familiar with. Sites with such endings like .com.co should make you raise your eyebrows and tip you off that you need to dig around more to see if they can be trusted. This is true even when the site looks professional and has semi-recognizable logos. For example, abcnews.com is a legitimate news source, but abcnews.com.co is not, despite its similar appearance.
Read the "About Us" section
Most sites will have a lot of information about the news outlet, the company that runs it, members of leadership, and the mission and ethics statement behind an organization. The language used here is straightforward. If it's melodramatic and seems overblown, you should be skeptical. Also, you should be able to find out more information about the organization's leaders in places other than that site.
Look at the quotes in a story
Or rather, look at the lack of quotes. Most publications have multiple sources in each story who are professionals and have expertise in the fields they talk about. If it's a serious or controversial issue, there are more likely to be quotes - and lots of them. Look for professors or other academics who can speak to the research they've done. And if they are talking about research, look up those studies.
Look at who said them
Then, see who said the quotes, and what they said. Are they a reputable source with a title that you can verify through a quick Google search? Say you're looking at a story and it says President Obama said he wanted to take everyone's guns away. And then there's a quote. Obama is an official who has almost everything he says recorded and archived. There are transcripts for pretty much any address or speech he has given. Google those quotes. See what the speech was about, who he was addressing and when it happened. Even if he did an exclusive interview with a publication, that same quote will be referenced in other stories, saying he said it while talking to the original publication.
Check the comments
A lot of these fake and misleading stories are shared on social media platforms. Headlines are meant to get the reader's attention, but they're also supposed to accurately reflect what the story is about. Lately, that hasn't been the case. Headlines often will be written in exaggerated language with the intention of being misleading and then attached to stories that are about a completely different topic or just not true. These stories usually generate a lot of comments on Facebook or Twitter. If a lot of these comments call out the article for being fake or misleading, it probably is.
Reverse image search
A picture should be accurate in illustrating what the story is about. This often doesn't happen. If people who write these fake news stories don't even leave their homes or interview anyone for the stories, it's unlikely they take their own pictures. Do a little detective work and reverse search for the image on Google. You can do this by right-clicking on the image and choosing to search Google for it. If the image is appearing on a lot of stories about many different topics, there's a good chance it's not actually an image of what it says it was on the first story.

These tips are just a start at determining what type of news an article is. Zimdars outlined these and others in a guide for her students.

If you do these steps, you're helping yourself and you're helping others by not increasing the circulation of these stories.

And you won't be the only one trying to stop the spread of this false content. The company leaders behind the platforms these stories are shared on are trying to figure out how to fix the issue from their side, but they are also trying to make sure not to limit anyone's right to freedom of speech. It's a tricky position to be in, but they've said they'll try. In the end, it really does depend on taking responsibility and being an engaged consumer of news.

Here's one last thing. Satirical publications exist and serve a purpose, but are clearly labeled as exaggerated and humorous by the writers and owners. Some of the more well-known ones like The Onionand ClickHole use satire to talk about current events. If people don't understand that, they might share these articles after reading them in the literal sense.

If this happens or if you see your friends sharing blatantly fake news, be a friend and kindly tell them it's not real. Don't shy away from these conversations even if they might be uncomfortable. As said, everyone has to help fix the fake news problem.
Wynne Davis is a Digital News intern.

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Fake Or Real? How To Self-Check The News And Get The Facts

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Your friend shares a story on Facebook. You read the headline and you think it's too good to be true, but it looks like it's from a news site. Experts offer tips to help you sniff out fact from fake.

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This video will explain how to evaluate an article or website. Use the C.R.A.P. Test Checklist to help in your evaluations.

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Download or print the checklist to use as a reminder when evaluating your sources. Then watch the videos "The C.R.A.P. Test"  and "How to Spot Fake News" for more information. Make notes of any extra tips from the videos that will add strength to this checklist.

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This videos explains how to check URLs, photos and information that could be fake or edited on a website.

The video also mentions installing a Chrome extension to help check validity of a website. We will not do that at this time, but will check with the IT department to see if there is one they can add to your school chromebooks.

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This videos gives strategies to avoid fake news and mentions some fact checker sites to use.

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Google Fact Check Explorer  Use this link to visit the site and start checking your facts. Notice which Fact Checking sites Google uses to find your results.

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Did you hear or read a claim that seems not quite right? If so, use the Fact Check Tools from Google to investigate it. https://toolbox.google.com/factcheck/explorer?authuser=0 📔 50 Tech Tuesday Tips! https://byrne-instructional-media-llc.ck.page/products/50-tech-tuesday-tips-for-t?promo=2E5F9F50FB ... ✉ Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: ✉ https://practicaledtech.com/weekly-newsletter/ ...

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Use this infographic to help you question the validity of the articles or websites you are using.

IFLA is an organization of Library Associations and Institutions around the world that created the infographic during the pandemic.

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This infographic gives another way to look at information to determine its credibility. According to their about section, GroundViews.org is an opinion website, so be alert if you read any of their articles.

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Use this infographic to see where a website lands on the meter. Is it closer to legit or fake? Be careful if it lands in the middle or fake columns.

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Take the quiz to see if you can spot fake news. You can choose the type of quiz by selecting one of the three parts, the age level and whether to play alone or with a friend.

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Together with our partner Google, we've launched the find the fake interactive quiz to help families test their knowledge on fake news and misinformation.

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Feel free to watch the "Fact vs Fake" video at the top of the page as a reminder of how to spot fake news. To take the quiz, scroll down to the yellow box.

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Fact or fake - can you tell the difference online? | Quizzes | CBC Kids

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October 18, 2022
"You don't want to miss this! Using this article twice a day will completely change your life!" - Rita Ritason
If you've spent any time online (you're online now!), you may have come across some pretty wild stories. Most of them were probably true, but did you ever wonder if some were fakes? You may have even read a "fake news" story and had no idea it was fake!

So how can you tell the difference between what's real online and what isn't? It's a super important skill for everyone, but especially kids, to learn! Here are some questions to consider when you're looking at photos, videos and articles online:

Who made this? Is it a website you know and trust?

Is this the only place you'll find this story? If no one else knows about it, it might be a fake.

Who might benefit or be harmed by this message?

Is it a comedy website? Some websites look like plain old news, but the stories are made to get a laugh. Check and make sure - they usually say it right up front.

Now onto the quiz! Some of these headlines might be pretty obvious fakes, but try and see how many you get right. Good luck!

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Fact or fake - can you tell the difference online? | Quizzes | CBC Kids

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There's so much fake news online, but there are some cool skills that can teach you to sort the facts from the fakes.

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The steps to spotting fake new are highlighted in the article. The article also contains information about types of fake news and examples.

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What is fake news?

Fake news refers to false or misleading information which masquerades as legitimate news. Generally, fake news falls into two categories:

Deliberately inaccurate stories - that is, the people publishing them know them to be false but publish them anyway. This might be to manipulate public opinion or to drive traffic to a specific website.

Stories that contain elements of truth but are broadly inaccurate. This might be because the writer hasn't checked all their facts or has exaggerated certain aspects to make a particular point.

Misinformation isn't a new phenomenon - the term "fake news" was actually used in the 19th century - but the internet and soI don'cial media have transformed how it's created and spread. Pre-internet, people tended to receive their news from trusted media sources whose journalists were required to follow strict codes of practice. The internet enabled new ways to publish, share and consume news and information, with relatively little regulation or editorial standards. Many people now consume news from social media and other online sources - but it's not always easy to determine which stories are credible and which are false.

Types of fake news

There are different types of fake news, depending on the motivation of those who create it. For example:

Clickbait

Sensationalism sells, and outrageous or weird stories and distorted images drive clicks and shares online. Clickbait refers to stories deliberately designed to get more website visitors and increase advertising revenue for the website owners - often at the expense of truth and accuracy.

Propaganda

This refers to false or distorted stories written to mislead audiences and promote a political agenda or biased perspective.

Poor quality journalism

Sometimes, journalists don't have time to check all their facts before publishing, leading to genuine mistakes becoming fake news. However, trusted new sources will correct errors in their stories and be transparent with readers when they've got things wrong.

Misleading headlines

Sometimes a story may be broadly true, but a sensationalist or misleading headline is used to entice readers to click on it. This can lead to fake news - since usually only the headline and small snippets of the article are displayed on social media, where it can quickly spread.

Imposter content

This is when genuine news sources are impersonated with false, made-up stories to deceive or mislead audiences.

Satire or parody

Some fake news is published for entertainment value. For example, satirical stories use humor, irony, or exaggeration to joke about the news or famous people. These stories don't attempt to mislead audiences because they aren't meant to be taken seriously. Notable examples of satirical websites include The Onion and The Daily Mash.

High-profile politicians have been known to dismiss stories they disagree with - which may be factual and verified - as "fake news". Because the term "fake news" is expansive and means different things to different people, it can be contested. In 2018, the British Government banned the term from official papers or documents, claiming it was too poorly defined to be meaningful. Instead, it prefers to use the terms "misinformation" and "disinformation" when describing false stories:

Disinformation- fake or misleading stories created and shared deliberately, often by a writer who might have a financial or political motive to do so.

Misinformation - this also means fake or misleading stories, but in this case, the stories may not have been deliberately created or shared with the intention to mislead.

How does fake news work?

Fake news is often spread through fake news websites, which, in an attempt to gain credibility, often emulate authentic news sources. According to research, social media enables false claims to spread quickly - more quickly, in fact, than real news. Fake news spreads rapidly because it's typically designed to grab attention and appeal to emotions - which is why it often features outlandish claims or stories which provoke anger or fear.

Social media feeds often prioritize content based on engagement metrics - that is, how often it's shared and liked - rather than how accurate or well-researched it is. This approach can allow clickbait, hyperbole, and misinformation to spread widely. Social media companies are seen as platforms rather than publishers, which means they don't have the same legal liabilities as traditional media outlets - although this may change as the political and legal landscape evolves.

Social media bots can spread fake news since they mass produce and spread articles, regardless of the credibility of their sources. Bots can create fake accounts online, which then gain followers, recognition, and authority - some of which are programmed to spread misinformation.

Trolls - internet users who deliberately try to start arguments or upset people - also play a part in spreading fake news. Sometimes they can be paid to do so for political reasons. The terms "troll farm" or "troll factory" are sometimes used in this context to refer to institutionalized groups of trolls who attempt to interfere in political decision-making.

Fake news sometimes involves the use of Deepfakes. These are fake videos created using digital software, machine learning, and face-swapping. Images are combined to create new footage which shows events or actions that never actually took place. The results can be very convincing and difficult to identify as false.

Fake news examples
Coronavirus fake news
The Covid-19 pandemic provided fertile ground for false information online, with numerous examples of fake news throughout the crisis. A persistent example of fake news in social media was the claim that 5G technology was linked to the spread of the virus - supposedly because 5G suppressed the immune system while the virus communicated through radio waves. These claims were not true and were repeatedly debunked by official sources but were still shared extensively.
US presidential election in 2016
Fake news and misinformation became a big issue during the US election in 2016, with false and misleading claims across the political spectrum. One analysis suggested that a large proportion of fake news generated in the election was created by teenagers in Macedonia, who found the more hyper-partisan stories they created, the more people clicked through and shared, and the more money they made as a result.
Boston Marathon bombing
In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, false claims that the bombing was an elaborate ruse plotted by the US government circulated online. In the wake of many terrorist events across the world, conspiracy theories are often rife. The notion that they are "false flag" operations - i.e., carried out by the state or a secret cabal to pin the blame on others or provide cover for other activities - is a common trope.
Kim Jong-un - the sexiest man alive?
In 2012, satirical website The Onion ran an article claiming that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un had been voted the sexiest man alive, declaring that "the Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true." In an example of how satire can sometimes be misunderstood across cultures, publications in China - including the online version of China's Communist Party newspaper - reported the claim as though it were true.

What are the dangers of fake news?

People often make important decisions - for example, how to vote in an election or what medical treatment to follow when they're ill - based on what they read in the news. That's why trusted news is so important. The dangers of fake news include:

When people can't distinguish between real and fake news, it creates confusion and misunderstanding about important social and political issues. When people have a generalized sense of "you can't believe anything you read," it undermines overall trust in legitimate news sources.

Fake and misleading stories relating to medical treatments or major diseases - such as cancer or Covid-19 - could lead to individuals making misinformed decisions about their health.

A lot of fake news is designed to stir up and intensify social conflict. When different sides of an argument have their own 'facts', it leads to greater polarization within societies and can affect electoral outcomes.

Universities and colleges expect students to use quality sources of information for assignments. Students who use sources with false or misleading information could receive lower grades.

How to identify fake news

You may be wondering how to identify fake news on Facebook and other social media sites? As a student, how to avoid fake news? Or how to avoid accidentally sharing misinformation online? Here are ten tips to identify misinformation, recognize fake news websites, and think before you share:
1. Check the source:
Check the web address for the page you're looking at. Sometimes, fake news sites may have spelling errors in the URL or use less conventional domain extensions such as ".infonet" or ".offer". If you are unfamiliar with the site, look in the About Us section.
2. Check the author:
Research them to see if they are credible - for example, are they real, do they have a good reputation, are they writing about their specific area of expertise, and do they have a particular agenda? Consider what the writer's motivation might be.
3. Check other sources:
Are other reputable news or media outlets reporting on the story? Are credible sources cited within the story? Professional global news agencies have editorial guidelines and extensive resources for fact-checking, so if they are also reporting the story, that's a good sign.
4. Maintain a critical mindset:
A lot of fake news is cleverly written to provoke strong emotional reactions such as fear or anger. Maintain a critical mindset by asking yourself - why has this story been written? Is it promoting a particular cause or agenda? Is it trying to make me click through to another website?
5. Check the facts:
Credible news stories will include plenty of facts - data, statistics, quotes from experts, and so on. If these are missing, question why. Reports with false information often contain incorrect dates or altered timelines, so it's a good idea to check when the article was published. Is it a current or old news story?
6. Check the comments:
Even if the article or video is legitimate, the comments below may not be. Often links or comments posted in response to content can be autogenerated by bots or people hired to put our misleading or confusing information.
7. Check your own biases:
We all have biases - could these be influencing the way you respond to the article? Social media can create echo chambers by suggesting stories that match your existing browsing habits, interests, and opinions. The more we read from diverse sources and perspectives, the more likely it is that we can draw accurate conclusions.
8. Check whether it's a joke:
Satirical websites are popular, and sometimes it is not always clear whether a story is just a joke or parody. Check the website to see if it's known for satire or creating funny stories.
9. Check images are authentic:
Images you see on social media could have been edited or manipulated. Possible signs include warping - where straight lines in the background now appear wavy - as well as strange shadows, jagged edges, or skin tone that looks too perfect. Bear in mind, too, that an image may be accurate but simply used in a misleading context. You can use tools such as Google's Reverse Image Search to check where an image originates from and whether it has been altered.
10. Use a fact-checking site:
Some of the best known include:

Fake news relies on believers reposting, retweeting, or otherwise sharing false information. If you're not sure whether an article is authentic or not, pause and think before you share. To help stay safe online, use an antivirus solution like Kaspersky Total Security, which protects you from hackers, viruses, malware, and other online threats.
Related Articles:
How to identify fake news

Fake news is information that is false or misleading. Learn about fake news examples, the dangers of fake news & how to identify misinformation.

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Fake news refers to false or misleading information which masquerades as legitimate news. Generally, fake news falls into two categories: Deliberately inaccurate stories - that is, the people publishing them know them to be false but publish them anyway. This might be to manipulate public opinion or to drive traffic to a specific website.

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Students from Commonwealth Charter Academy, a cyber school, give steps on how to spot fake news.

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How to Spot Fake News - Tips for Students Doing Research

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Fake news has been a buzzword in recent years, and for a good reason. False stories posing as real news can sway public opinion, influencing elections and public policies. In this digital age, information spreads rapidly, reaching many people, whether that information is fact-based or not.

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FOR MORE TERMS, see Stony Brook University. Digital Resources Center Glossary: The Language of News Literacy and a see also: Media Literacy: Word/Phrase of the Week from Frank W Baker. Baker tweets and posts "a word (or phrase) that 21st century students should know and understand." Examples of terms: Automated Content Recognition; Action Civics; Metatextuality - and more!

Advertising: the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product, service, need, etc.

a particular tendency, trend, inclination, feeling, or opinion, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned: unreasonably hostile feelings or opinions about a social group; prejudice: Bias : Statistics. A systematic as opposed to a random distortion of a statistic as a result of sampling procedure.

Cheap Fake: " altered media that has been changed through conventional and affordable technology"

The tendency to Interpret information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses

Fake News : Fake news websites (also referred to online as hoax news), deliberately publish hoaxes, propaganda, and disinformation to drive web traffic inflamed by social media.These sites are distinguished from news satire, as they mislead and profit from readers' gullibility. [From Wikipedia]

Misinformation: false or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive.

Objectivity : not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: impartiality, absence/lack of bias, absence/lack of prejudice, fairness, fair-mindedness, neutrality, evenhandedness, justice, open-mindedness, disinterest, detachment, dispassion, neutrality.
Journalistic objectivity can refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship

Point of View : a specified or stated manner of consideration or appraisal; standpoint: an opinion, attitude, or judgment

Prank : a trick of an amusing, playful, or sometimes malicious nature.

Publicity: information, articles, or advertisements issued to secure public notice or attention.

Stephen Colbert discusses Truthiness truthiness on his Comedy Central show - and the word makes it into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. See the definition: thruthiness.

Definitions from Dictionary.com, Oxford Dictionaries, Wikipedia

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LibGuides: Fake News, Misleading News, Biased News: Terms and Definitions

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FOR MORE TERMS, see Stony Brook University. Digital Resources Center Glossary: The Language of News Literacy and a see also: Media Literacy: Word/Phrase of the Week from Frank W Baker. Baker tweets and posts "a word (or phrase) that 21st century students should know and understand."