[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ake news is a serious problem.
The respected Pew Research Center recently found that most American adults obtain their news from social media, where fake news abounds. It is believed largely because of a lack of media literacy on the part of readers.
Media literacy is defined by the Center for Media Literacy as “the ability to access, analyze, and evaluate” information in the media. It empowers people to be critical thinkers and is essential skill for an informed population and a healthy democracy.
If you want to improve your media literacy skills, first consider the source of the information presented. Is it a known, credible source like a respected newspaper? If you’re not sure of a source’s legitimacy, Snopes.com has a list of known fake news sites and stories. FactCheck.org, Washington Post Fact Checker, and PolitiFact.com are also good places to check sources.
Considering the sources provided in an article itself is also important. Many fake stories cite sources, but upon further research the sources may be fake or don’t back up the story’s claim. Another tip is to read beyond the headline; many fake stories have misleading, attention-grabbing headlines, especially satirical stories.
Checking a story’s date is also important. A post-election story that quoted from, and linked to, a CNN Money article about Ford shifting truck production from Mexico to Ohio was from August 2015 and therefore clearly not the result of the presidential election, as many of the stories it was cited in asserted.
And don’t forget to check your biases. It’s difficult, but essential. Confirmation bias leads people to put more stock in information that confirms their beliefs and discount information that doesn’t. So the next time you’re appalled by a “news” story online, take some time to actually analyze it.
If you have questions about media literacy, fake news, or related topics, please visit the Kyle Public Library, where helping people access quality, verified information is one of its key goals.
