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A recent Stanford Graduate School of Education report shows that many students have trouble judging the credibility of information online. The results showed that 80-90 percent of high school students had a difficult time judging the credibility of news.

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In able to teach students how to decide what is factual and what is fake when doing research or surfing the internet, have you taught them to ask the following questions?  If you haven't, now is the time!

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In able to teach students how to decide what is factual and what is fake when doing research or surfing the internet, have you taught them to ask the following questions?  If you haven't, now is the time!

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Are You Teaching Students To Check Multiple Sources?

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Are You Teaching Students To Check Multiple Sources?

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Vulnerability of truth

"No society can conduct the informed conversation necessary for civility, the resolution of disputes, or the judicious exercise of power and law if there is no agreement on basic facts. You cannot choose how to go forward if you cannot agree what just happened. Therefore it is necessary to agree that there are facts, or true propositions. In the West today, largely but not solely because of the advent of digital media, the truth is more vulnerable than it has been for a long time." Amol Rajan

1) Fake news - False information deliberately circulated by those who have scant regard for the truth but hope to advance particular (often extreme) political causes and make money out of online traffic...energized by social media. Spreads deceit and pollutes the well of civility. Hostile to democratic process

2) False news - Information that is circulated by journalists who do not realize it is false... all unintended errors of fact in the history of journalism. Damages trust in media. False news not intentional

3) The use of the term fake news: - News source that someone doesn't want to acknowledge and so uses the term fake news to justify silencing it. Censorship of the press numbs scrutiny. Hostile to democratic process

Amol Rajan (16, January, 2017)-Bbc.com http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38636042

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," host Chuck Todd pressed Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway about why the White House on Saturday had sent Spicer to the briefing podium for the first time to claim that "this was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period."

4) Alternative Facts - False claims about the size of the crowd at President Donald Trump's inauguration given by press secretary to Donald Trump were not falsehoods but instead were "alternative facts".

Related closely to the following:

Propaganda: The systematic dissemination of information, esp. in a biased or misleading way, in order to promote a political cause or point of view. Also: information disseminated in this way; the means or media by which such ideas are disseminated. (OED)

Disinformation: The dissemination of deliberately false information, esp. when supplied by a government or its agent to a foreign power or to the media, with the intention of influencing the policies or opinions of those who receive it; false information so supplied. (OED)

Psychological warfare: The use (originally as a military strategy) of tactics intended to undermine the morale or allegiance of one's opponent or opponents, as opposed to physical force. (OED)

Provided by Kent Carrico, February, 2017

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Research Guides: Fake News: Develop Your Fact-Checking Skills: Some News Literacy Vocabulary

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Vulnerability of truth "No society can conduct the informed conversation necessary for civility, the resolution of disputes, or the judicious exercise of power and law if there is no agreement on basic facts. You cannot choose how to go forward if you cannot agree what just happened.

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Did You Check The Credibility Of The Source?  

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Did You Check The Credibility Of The Source?  

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Look for:
1. An author who is an expert or a well-respected publisher (such as the NY Times or Wall Street Journal) .

3. Up-to-date information for your topic.

4. Unbiased analysis of the topic (i.e. author examines more than one perspective on the issue) .
For more assistance in determining credibility, check out these resources:

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Henry Buhl Library: Research Basics: How do I know if a source is credible?

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Henry Buhl Library: Research Basics: How do I know if a source is credible?

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Do Your Students Know The Opposite Of A Fact?

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Do Your Students Know The Opposite Of A Fact?

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Do Your Students Know How To Sort Through What Is Real And What Is Fake When Viewing The News?

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Do Your Students Know How To Sort Through What Is Real And What Is Fake When Viewing The News?

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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:

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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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Are You Teaching Students To Match The Information They Are Reading With What They Already Know?

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Are You Teaching Students To Match The Information They Are Reading With What They Already Know?

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Scholastic

Listenwise

NewseumEd

Common Sense Media

Getting to Know the NY Times Scavenger Hunt

Youth Radio

Allsides

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What Is a Fact?

A fact is a statement that can be verified.

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We All Want To Believe Something If It Matches Our Personal Views, But Does That Make It True?

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We All Want To Believe Something If It Matches Our Personal Views, But Does That Make It True?

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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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A Quick Guide To Check The Author's Expertise Or Background Knowledge About A Subject?

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A Quick Guide To Check The Author's Expertise Or Background Knowledge About A Subject?

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Not everyone is an expert on every subject. That's why you're in college, after all -- to get a degree in a field of study that will help you get a job. As you gain experience in your chosen career, you grow in expertise. You may even publish articles and books of your own! But until you're an expert yourself, you'll need to rely on the publications of those who have gone before you.
How can you tell which articles or books are written by an authority in the field? Take note of the author's name. (Don't see one?) What if no author is listed? Learn about the publisher, instead.

Are any advanced degrees listed with the author's name (M.D., M.S., Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.)?

Is the author's affiliation or place of employment listed? Do they work in a field that's relevant to the subject they're writing about?

On an article, you can usually find this information on the first or last page. In a book, there may be an "about the author" section at the end, or on the book cover.

Workplace or affiliation not listed? Search for them in Google (hint: put their name in "quotation marks") to find out -- you'll often come across their CV or a personal page on their workplace's website.

Have they published other articles, web pages or books on this topic, or related topics? Use our library to find out.

This often comes up when you're searching the open web...you may find a web page with information you'd like to use, but there's no author's name. In cases like this, you'll need to take a look at the organization that is responsible for the overall website. You'll usually see the publisher/host name at the top of the page, or at the very bottom (sometimes with a "copyright" statement).
Save yourself some time! If you limit your searches to scholarly or peer-reviewed publications, then you can feel confident that the authors are experts in the field. Read more about peer review to find out why.

Look for an "About" link at the top or bottom of the page. This should explain the mission of the organization who's hosting the website, as well as the purpose of the information that is being published there.

The website's domain (the three-letter suffix in the web address) can give you a quick clue about the organization. But, remember that you must always keep a critical eye out for and -- no matter what kind of website you're reading.

.edu sites are educational in nature, most often school websites (including universities). A .edu domain is always a good sign, but remember that faculty (experts) and students (novices) alike may be publishing information to their school's site, so look carefully at the content before using it.

.gov or .mil sites are for government and military agencies. These sites exist to make government information available to the public, and they are generally considered authoritative.

.org sites are for nonprofit organizations. These sites may be educational, research or advocacy-based. You will need to read about the organization to determine whether or not the information it publishes is likely to be biased or not.

.com is the most familiar domain. It stands for "commercial," and can be used by any company, for any purpose. .net is a common business domain as well. On sites like these, you will see news, entertainment, social networking, and even some educational products (like the APUS LibAnswers site!). Look carefully for author information, or read about the publisher/host to decide whether it is trustworthy for your research purposes or not.

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How do I know if an author is an expert? - LibAnswers

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Not everyone is an expert on every subject. That's why you're in college, after all -- to get a degree in a field of study that will help you get a job. As you gain experience in your chosen career, you grow in expertise. You may even publish articles and books of your own!

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Have You Taught Them About Fact Checking Websites?

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Have You Taught Them About Fact Checking Websites?

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CSI Library: Misinformation and Disinformation: Thinking Critically about Information Sources: Web Sites for Fact Checking

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This Research Guide is adapted from a guide developed by the Research Center at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism

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Here Are Some Resources To Give Your Students Ways To Practice In Your Classroom.

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Here Are Some Resources To Give Your Students Ways To Practice In Your Classroom.

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Media Literacy Resources – Believe it or Not – NewseumEd

News Accuracy and Credibility – Project Look Sharp

How to Teach Your Students About Fake News – PBS Newshour

News & Media Literacy Toolkit – Commonsense Media

Lesson Plan: Fighting Fake News – KQED

Lessons in Civic Online Reasoning – Stanford Graduate School of Education

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Here is a ten part series on navigating digital information.

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Introduction to Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #1

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Video fact checking: How do I spot fake news? | Fact Check