Embedded Files
Misinformation and Disinformation
Misinformation is false or misleading information that is shared without the intent to cause harm, often because someone believes it is true. The State Library of Victoria has further resources ➥ guides.slv.vic.gov.au/misinformation/makebelieve
Disinformation, on the other hand, is deliberately created and spread to deceive people or influence opinions. Both can spread quickly online, especially through social media, making it harder for people to know what is accurate. Over time, they can erode trust in institutions, media, and public debate.
You can also find more information about misinformation from The University of Sydney ➥ Misinformation Resources and from ABC Education Media Literacy Resources.
Fake News
Fake news refers to false or fabricated information deliberately presented as legitimate or real news. The term gained widespread usage during the 2016 U.S. presidential election when fabricated or made up political stories spread on social media.
Financial gain is one driver of this, with individuals and groups creating fabricated stories to generate click-driven online ad revenue. Another motivator is to persuade the reader or audience to a certain point of view, which comes back to disinformation.
All of these contribute to what researchers have termed an "infodemic" an overwhelming flood of false and misleading information, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish real news from fake news.
One solution: Fact Checking
In an era where information travels at the speed of a click, the distinction between truth and lies has become increasingly blurred. Fact-checking serves as a critical democratic safeguard, empowering individuals to navigate the internet, which is often flooded with misinformation and disinformation and fake news.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation runs ABC News Verify, a highly regarded partnership between RMIT University and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that scrutinizes the accuracy of claims made by politicians and public figures.
➥ https://www.abc.net.au/news/factcheck
AAP FactCheck is the fact-checking division of Australian Associated Press. It investigates viral claims, political statements, images, and social media posts to determine whether they are accurate, misleading, or false. The site is widely used in Australia with articles backed by experts and evidence-based analysis.
➥ https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/
Snopes.com is one of the oldest fact-checking websites, specializing in debunking urban legends, viral misinformation, and political claims. It is highly useful for its transparent approach to fact checking, providing readers with extensive primary sources and evidence-based reasoning to support its "True" or "False" ratings.
Fake news & disinformation games
In Bad News(game), you take on the role of fake news-mongel. Your task is to get as many followers as you can while slowly building up fake credibility as a real news website. You lose if you tell obvious lies or disappoint your supporters!
ABC Australia also has a fake news media literacy game. Do your best to identify which news stories are real, fake, a joke or the journalist just make a mistake and got it wrong.
Videos
Click on the images to open the videos. If it is a ClickView video then you may need to sign into ClickView (@schools.vic.edu.au) to watch it.
Report abuse