Video - Fake: Searching for Truth in the Age of Misinformation

Notes on misinformation and bias

A journalist’s job is to seek out the truth. But there are different kinds of truths.

Quantifiable truth: has the death penalty led to a decrease in homicides in your state? A reporter could gather statistics and information and conceivably come up with an answer to this question.

Philosophical truths: is the death penalty just? Should the state have the power to execute people? These are ethical/philosophical questions that an objective reporter really can’t answer.

It is always a journalist’s job to think critically. This is especially important when dealing with misinformation from any source, online or otherwise. If something sounds odd or suspicious, check it out.

Be careful to distinguish fact from opinion. At many news sites there is a lot of overlap between the two. Just watch prime time cable news shows and you’ll see what I mean. Keep in mind what a wise person once said: everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Everyone is not entitled to their own facts.

And just because someone is shouting the loudest doesn’t mean what they are saying is true. Millions of people believe the 2020 election was stolen. But what does the hard evidence actually show?

At its best, journalism should be like science. Scientists must subject their theories to rigorous scrutiny and experimentation before calling them facts. Journalists should do the same.

Helpful links:

Definition of misinformation and disinformation

What is information literacy:

https://www.unesco.org/en/ifap/information-literacy

How to tell if websites are reliable: http://journalism.about.com/od/reporting/a/Eight-Ways-To-Tell-If-A-Website-Is-Reliable.htm

How to find reliable sources online: https://ijnet.org/en/story/5-ways-find-sources-online

Quiz (copy and paste into a Word document)

1. What's the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

2. Look at the four websites below and then rank them in order of how biased they are, with 1 being the most biased and 4 being the least biased. Explain your rankings.

BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news

CNN

https://www.cnn.com/

Daily Kos

https://www.dailykos.com/

Gateway Pundit

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

3. Find an example of bias on each site and describe it.

4. See if you can find an example of misinformation or disinformation on any of the sites. Describe it.
 

5. What is the main purpose of information literacy?

A) To memorize facts
B) To understand and evaluate information critically
C) To write faster
D) To be able to use information ethically and effectively

6. Which of the following is the most reliable source for academic research?

A) A personal blog
B) A Wikipedia article
C) A peer-reviewed journal
D) A news headline shared on social media

7. What does it mean if a source is "peer-reviewed"?

A) It was written by more than one person
B) It has been reviewed by experts in the field before publication
C) It is available for free
D) It contains only opinions

8. Which clues suggest a website may NOT be credible? (Select all that apply)

A) Poor grammar and spelling
B) No author or contact information
C) Clear references and citations
D) Overuse of sensational language (e.g., “You won’t believe this!”)

9. Which of the following best defines “plagiarism”?

A) Citing too many sources
B) Using someone else’s ideas without giving credit
C) Writing in your own words
D) Copying your own work from a previous assignment

10. You’re researching climate change. Which search strategy is most effective?

A) Using one broad keyword like "climate"
B) Typing a full question like "What are the effects of climate change?"
C) Using keywords like "climate change impacts global warming"
D) Only searching on social media

11. Why is it important to consider the publication date of a source?

A) Older sources are always better
B) Information can change over time
C) Newer sources are always less reliable
D) It doesn’t matter

12. Which citation style is commonly used in the social sciences?

A) MLA
B) APA
C) Chicago
D) IEEE

13. A source is biased if it...

A) Presents all sides fairly
B) Shows strong support for one perspective without acknowledging others
C) Is written by an expert
D) Includes lots of statistics

14. What is the first step in evaluating a source?

A) Reading the conclusion
B) Checking if your friends have shared it
C) Looking at the author’s credentials
D) Counting how many pictures it has