#6: Seeing Beyond the Fake News
Summary: The term ‘fake news’ has become a media buzz word over the last few years, but what exactly is fake news and where does it originate? Examine the historical and current practice of so-called ‘fake news’ and how the false, often sensationalized, reports and conspiracy theories disseminated under the guise of news reporting.
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Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to…
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compare historical aspects of fake news verses the current fake news climate.
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differentiate the difference between what fake news is and what it is not.
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compare and contrast the similarities and differences between two people who profit financially by creating fake news (fake news entrepreneurs).
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identify the consequences of fake news and conspiracy theories.
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create a media product that demonstrates their comprehension of how to identify false news information.
A. 10-15 Minute Overview: The term ‘fake news’ is defined as false stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke. Over the past few years, How can we move beyond the buzz word catch phrase to recognize how the topic is used to sway public perception?
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This short video from NewseumEd.org (1:41) differentiates between what fake news is and what is is not.
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Contrary to popular belief, fake news is not a new concept. This Washington post article explains how the practice of creating false news has existed for centuries. It was historically spread by famous American figures such as Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.
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Sometimes, false information can spread so widely that it becomes accepted as truth. For example, the Coati, a relative of the raccoon, native to Brazil, has become alternatively known as “the Brazilian Aardvark.”
B. 20-30 Minute Lesson: The Fake News Business Model
Through the commercialization of social media, individuals have found opportunities to turn the fake news hyperbole into profitable livelihoods. But what are the social consequences of such behavior? Divide the students into pairs or small groups, assign each individual/group one of the two articles (below) to read and discuss with their partner. Create a list on the board of similarities and differences between the two entrepreneurs. Read through the following two articles.
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In the US: Gain an inside look at how fake news is often created and who profits by reading or listening about an NPR reporter Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here’s What She Learned (audio of the article is also available 7:33).
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In Macedonia: Read the Wired.com article about Macedonian Teens Who Mastered Fake News distribution become the wealthiest entrepreneurs in their town.
They may also fill out the corresponding worksheet from a Newseum case study regarding the topic. Compare and contrast how false news has evolved.
C. 35-40 Minute Lesson: There is a timely necessity to educate the public about the topic of ‘fake news’ and spread of misleading information. Depending upon your audience demographic, choose one of the following lessons:
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How do online conspiracy theories feed wild accusations and false information? Watch the TEDx talk by Richard Gutjhar (21:33) or read this Guardian article about a father whose son was killed at Sandy Hook. These stories give details of how they are subjected to internet bullying and targeted by fabricated conspiracy theories. Content note: The video does include some explicit language and/or images of terrorists attacks.
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What are the ​consequences of hurtful conspiracy theorists and the actions of internet ‘trolls’?
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How do the conspiracy theories effect the families of those who are targeted?
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Consider the following images and Scholastic News article for elementary students. How do articles similar to these assist in teaching youth about the topic? As adults, what similar signs would be most helpful when reading online material?
[Source: Scholastic, 2017; http://cdn.choicesideabook.scholastic.com/sites/default/files/how-to-spot-fake-news-printable.pdf ; Visual Description: An example of a fake online news story depicting a teenager eating chocolate with the headline of ‘Chocolate Can Cure Acne.’ The flyer gives several examples (listed below) of what to look for which can suggest it is not from a reliable source.]
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The image gives several signs to be aware of when an online story is false:
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Be skeptical of ‘Click Bait’ or misleading HEADLINES: If it is something that you desperately want to be true or untrue, then chances are it is manufactured to deceive. Vet it by searching the headline in another tab. If it’s true, there should be other credible outlets reporting the news. If not, add the word “hoax” to your search.
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URL: Examine the organization’s website and compare URL’s. A site that says NBCNews.com.co instead of NBCNews.com is very close to the real site. Vet it: Put the legit organization’s name into Google and compare URLs, or check a suspicious URL on a trusted fact-checking site like Snopes.com or Factcheck.org.
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Look at the “ABOUT US” section: Most trusted sites will state clearly who’s behind them and how to get in contact. So, if there is not one—or a site makes you register to get that info— this should be a red flag.
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Examine the PHOTO: If there is no credit or copyright info saying who took it and where, or it features racy, unrelated photos, like shots of women in bikinis on an alleged news site. Vet it: Left-click it with your mouse and drop down to “Search Google for image.” If the same photo shows up on a lot of other unrelated sites and stories, chances are it was copied and repurposed here.
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ALL CAPS: Stories written in all caps or have grammatical errors, and does not cite a source. Most legit stories will say where they got their facts.
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Beware of POP-UP ADS: If a barrage of pop-up ads appear, this is a red flag, as most reputable sites limit their pop-up ads to one or two, so as not to drive away viewers.
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Consider the following questions and reflect on what advantage or disadvantage the information may pose for youth.
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Which concepts are relevant to all audiences and/or ages?
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Which concepts are ’watered down’ or omitted for younger audiences?
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What other steps might be valuable to be aware of?
C. 45-60 Minute Activity: Create an Infographic about Fake News
It is possible to avoid the fake news pitfalls, in a TedEd video (4:48) Damon Brown explains how to be a well-informed news reader. The Poynter organization, an expert in journalism ethics and fact-checking, describes how governments around the world are contemplating how to fight misinformation. The term “fake news” itself has even been weaponized by politicians and used to jail journalists. There is a fine line between humor and outright falsehoods. There are a lot of sites out there that claim they are writing satire that actually just seem to be writing fake news. How could social media sites monitor the difference between the two? This article describes the difficulty in doing so.
Step 1. Create an infographic that gives several facts, statistics or details from one or more of the articles above about the fake news phenomena. Learn more about infographics by watching this short video (1:33).
Step 2. Using the information gained in this lesson plan, choose a media platform to create your own infographic that warn people about fake news or conspiracy theories. Each of the following platforms are free and include a brief video tutorial: Piktochart, Canva, or Venngage. There are also many tutorials on Youtube on how to create a simple infographic. See the following example:
