Misinformation

Facebook has announced that it is targeting "the worst of the worst" on its platform to curtail the spread of fake news by shutting down offending accounts and labeling misinformation. The company's shareholders have submitted a proposal asking Facebook to prepare a report on how fake news on the platform could pose risks to democracy and affect the company itself.

Ever wonder about the underlying motivation of a site – satire, conspiracy, rumor mill, fake news – but do not know where to check your suspicions? Take a look at this Google Doc entitled False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and Satirical “News” Sources from Melissa Zimdars, an Assistant Professor of Communication & Media at Merrimack College, for a tremendous alphabetical list of suspect sites and the clones of some reputable sites that are trying to disguise themselves as legitimate. It is a good place to start for checking out any gut feelings you have about a site that you or your children have found.

Ever wonder about the underlying motivation of a site – satire, conspiracy, rumor mill, fake news – but do not know where to check your suspicions? Take a look at this Google Doc entitled False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and Satirical “News” Sources from Melissa Zimdars, an Assistant Professor of Communication & Media at Merrimack College, for a tremendous alphabetical list of suspect sites and the clones of some reputable sites that are trying to disguise themselves as legitimate. It is a good place to start for checking out any gut feelings you have about a site that you or your children have found.

Misinformation in the form of fake or misleading news is on everyone’s mind these days. What are some questions you should be asking when you or your children analyze a news story for validity? Take a look at this chart from Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College, and think about printing it off for you and your children to use as a guide. Browse the site for other useful quick check guides such as Separating Fact from Fiction, and workshops that your school or parent–teacher groups might be interested in.

Misinformation in the form of fake or misleading news is on everyone’s mind these days. What are some questions you should be asking when you or your children analyze a news story for validity? Take a look at this chart from Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College, and think about printing it off for you and your children to use as a guide. Browse the site for other useful quick check guides such as Separating Fact from Fiction, and workshops that your school or parent–teacher groups might be interested in.

According to a recent article from the NY Times, the obsession with politics that has many adult Americans fiercely following the news has filtered down to their children. Teachers say their middle- and high-school students are more engaged than ever in politics. Students say their social media news feeds, including Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, make it easier for them to keep up with current events. Of course that also means you need to discuss with your children the need to vet and confirm what they read or see online.

According to a recent article from the NY Times, the obsession with politics that has many adult Americans fiercely following the news has filtered down to their children. Teachers say their middle- and high-school students are more engaged than ever in politics. Students say their social media news feeds, including Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, make it easier for them to keep up with current events. Of course that also means you need to discuss with your children the need to vet and confirm what they read or see online.

Misinformation can comes in many forms, including pictures. How can we learn to identify “Photoshopped” or digitally manipulated pictures? While there are numerous points to consider when analyzing pictures, there are some basics you and your children should pay attention to. These include considering the source of the image, looking at the aesthetics (angle, possible cropping, distance from the subject and more) and examining the caption for an agenda or possible verified source. For more on this, check out this article: Want to resist the post-truth age? Learn to analyze photos like an expert would.

Misinformation can comes in many forms, including pictures. How can we learn to identify “Photoshopped” or digitally manipulated pictures? While there are numerous points to consider when analyzing pictures, there are some basics you and your children should pay attention to. These include considering the source of the image, looking at the aesthetics (angle, possible cropping, distance from the subject and more) and examining the caption for an agenda or possible verified source. For more on this, check out this article: Want to resist the post-truth age? Learn to analyze photos like an expert would.

Got a minute? Take a look at the some of the short advice videos on the Common Sense Media site for some great videos that could start a discussion with your kids about particular digital safety issues. Topics include ways to spot fake news, four great fact-checking sites, five internet safety tips, five tips for dealing with haters and trolls and much more.