Fake News
Students are often required to reference news articles for class. In order to be well informed, students should be able to identify "fake news."
What is Fake News?
Fake news is: "fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in organizational process or intent. Fake-news outlets, in turn, lack the news media's editorial norms and processes for ensuring the accuracy and credibility of information. Fake news overlaps with other information disorders, such as misinformation (false or misleading information) and disinformation (false information that is purposely spread to deceive people)."
According to the Webb School Library most students learn about news through third party sources.
Third party sources are not always reliable. Fake news and misinformation can often spread through third party sources. To make sure what you're reading isn't fake news check your sources!
Tips on How to Spot Fake News
Provided by the American Library Association.
Fact Checkers
Resources to help you evaluate information. Click the photos to be redirected to these fact checkers.
A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center
Factcheck.org is a non profit whose goal is to monitor U.S political figures, and how accurate their statements are. The types of media that FactCheck monitors includes: TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Use this resource in collaboration with your source evaluation skills to check the accuracy of a news story.
Internet Archive is a non profit that created a digital archive of the internet. This fact checker provides users with a history of the internet. Use the way back machine to see how websites have changed over time. Students can access records of:
330 billion web pages
20 million books and texts
4.5 million audio recordings (including 180,000 live concerts)
4 million videos (including 1.6 million Television News programs)
3 million images
200,000 software programs
Snopes is a website that allows users to fact check rumors spread on the internet. Students can perform a keyword search to identify misinformation, debunk fake news, and research urban legends.
Click HERE to download a worksheet that will help you to identify fake news.
Don't Forget to Evaluate Your Sources!
Fake News Fun!
