Real news or Fake news

Anisah Omar                                                                                                                                                                                 

Dr. Katheryn Crowther

English 1102

9 February 2020

 

    Real news or Fake news?

  “Betty White has died at age 98.” 

        How many times have you seen this storyline or any other celebrity’s death on twitter spreading like wildfire? In this day and age, we tend to believe everything we come across online. Even after we have been told plenty of times that you “cannot believe everything you read on the internet. False content is that daily reminder. (“Fake News” 7 February 2020) “Fake news (also known as junk news or hoax news) is a form of news consisting of deliberate disinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional news media (print and broadcast) or online social media.”

        It could be seen as ignorance; either way, we can be too trusting when it comes to the news that is fed to us. Fake news stories like a celebrity’s death or fraudulent ballots in the election are the things that catch our attention the most. As people who have limited access to the truth, we believe what we are told. 

        When it comes to finding a solution to filtering false content from fact, we must evaluate how reliable the sources are, and the signs that they are fake. We also need to take a closer look at how it impacts society and how we can become more proficient in informational literacy. Overall, we need to figure out how to become a society that is informed based on factual content. 

        As times progress, we turn to a different source for worldly updates. Americans have shifted from TV newscasts and newspapers to Facebook and Instagram. According to a Pew’s study for those who rely on social media for their news, Facebook is now where almost half (52%) of American adults get their news. YouTube came in second at 28%, Twitter at 17%, and Instagram at 14%. I get my news from Twitter and assumed more people would as well. Social media sites recognize this is a problem and have made efforts to change that. Facebook and other social media sites have adjusted their news feeds, and Google now has fact-checking features.  

        However, how can we, as individuals, identify whether what we are reading is real or fake? There are signs to differentiate between the two. Fake news stories rarely have dates attached to articles. Look for spelling and grammar errors, and if sources and citations are present. By repeating this process, you are experiencing neuroplasticity firsthand. Neuroplasticity is the action of your brain adapting and creating a new habit. That new habit being receptive to the common signs of false content. 

        Critical thinking goes hand in hand with this. For instance, take a minute to think about why a piece was written in the first place. “Sometimes people just want to spread their own ideas and beliefs without backing them up at all” (“What is fake news – explained l CBC Kids News,” 00:00:34-00:00:41). People are writing their ideas and beliefs and posting it as news simply because they think “who’s going to stop me.” However, fake news usually has a motive, whether it is to discredit someone or something, often for-profit or something called “clickbait.” However, “Clickbait is something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink, especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest” (Clickbait).  

        The easiest way to detect a fake news story is to double-check the facts. Nearly eight in ten people said they had done so, according to the Pew study. To identify reliable sources of information, you’ll start by; looking into the author, whether there is a timestamp, and determine its credibility from there.  

        The problem with fake news is, it leaves many readers misinformed about what is really happening in the world. Such as politics and social issues. It can be dangerous to our democracy to have false content written about politicians and policies, especially when civilians are expecting it to be truthful. The fact of the matter is that fake news has an effect on our nation and polarizes us. This threat places immense importance on becoming a society that is proficient in information literacy. According to the American Library Association, “information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and use said tools to locate, evaluate, and use the needed information effectively.'” Those abilities being; doing thorough research, establishing a legitimate source, and using critical thinking. By educating ourselves on informational literacy, we have all the necessary tools to differentiate between news that is real and news that is fake. 

        As citizens of a democratic nation, it is our right to be well informed on the world around us.  However, fake news is stripping us of this. As a society, we must be more cautious and investigate the stories around us. 

  

 

 

Work Cited

 

 

 

  • “Steps on How to Recognize Fake News, a Better Understanding of Information Literacy.” How To Spot Fake News, International Federation of Liberty Associations and Institutions, 8 January 2020, https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11174.
  • Accessed 9 February 2020.

 

 

  • SLHE Task Force, ACRL, and ACRL Framework Task Force. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. American Library Association, 2000, pp. 1–20. http://hdl.handle.net/11213/7668 
  • Accessed 9 February 2020.

 

 

 

 

  • “What Is Fake News – Explained l CBC Kids News.” YouTube, YouTube/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 21 November 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDOFt1tFYx8
  • Accessed 9 February 2020

 

 

 

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