Post-Holiday: Evaluating “Fake News”

Our goal today is to examine what happens when fake news spreads and to identify specific actions we can take to verify news stories, photographs and other sources of online information.

Fake news is no longer a matter of the occasional hoax. There is growing evidence that fake news has the
power to shape public opinion and even sway elections. As more of us get our news online, it is increasingly vital that we know how to verify sources and spot fake news or images, even though they often appear indistinguishable from a reliable source.

Step 1. Quick write

In your journal, consider the following question in writing.

• What are potential consequences when fake news goes viral? Do you think you could spot fake news or would you be fooled? Why or why not?

Once you are done, compare your answers with 1-2 partner(s) and then we will briefly share around the table.

Step 2. Fukushima Daisies

In March 2011, an earthquake of the coast of Japan produced a tsunami wave that in turn caused a series of nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The following image was posted on Imgur, a photo sharing website, in July 2015.

Does this image provide strong evidence of conditions near the Fukushima plant? Together, we will identify questions we might ask ourselves to decide.

Step 3. What can we do?
Read the following three sources that provide some background about fake news, including why it is important, how it is produced and circulates, and what we can do as individuals to avoid its influence:

• Matthew Green,  “The Honest Truth about Fake News … and How Not to Fall for It” from KQED’s The Lowdown (6 December 2016).
• Amrita Khalid, “The 2016 guide to political fact-checking on the internet,” from The Daily Dot (21 September 2016)
• Robert Hilliker, email to the Hotchkiss School community (8 December 2016).

Questions to consider as you read and reflect on the articles above:

• Which of the concerns raised in the article by Michael Green most stood out to you? Why?
• Identify methods presented by Amrita Khalid and Mr. Hilliker that seem like that would be especially promising for us as individual news consumers avoid being “duped” by fake news.
• What steps should companies like Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat take to combat fake news? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of taking action?

Homework: 
For our next assignment, we will turn back to where we left off in the Civil War:

• HH250-01: #404
• HH250-09: #404
• HH250-10: #403
• HH250-15: #404