Trusting News in the Misinformation Age

On Sunday, January 27, 2019, UUCWC member Anne Godlasky gave a talk during the middle hour called Trusting News in the Misinformation Age. Attended by about 30 people she provided helpful hints for navigating the new world of news and fake news.

Here are links to resources that can help in your quest for truth on the internet:

How to Spot Fake News Infographic

This tool was created by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.
IFLA made this infographic to help you to determine the verifiability of a given news-piece in front of you. They encourage the sharing of this infographic.

Media Bias Chart

The chart is a unique way of laying out the complex media landscape in two dimensions: quality, on the vertical axis, and bias, on the horizontal axis. It was created by Ad Fontes Media whose mission is “making news consumers smarter and news media better.” Ad Fontes is Latin for “to the source,” because at the heart of what Ad Fontes Media does is look at the source—analyze the very content itself—to rank it.

Can you tell the difference between factual and opinion news statements?

A Pew Research Center Quiz. Test your ability to classify 10 news statements as either factual or opinion. Then see how you did in comparison with a nationally representative group of 5,035 randomly selected U.S. adults surveyed. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions.

Can You Spot the Deceptive Facebook Post?

Internal and external groups are spreading disinformation. It’s difficult to tell illegitimate from genuine posts. This New York Times quiz asks you to determine the real from the fake posts. (Paywall)

USA Today’s analysis of 3,500+ Facebook ads bought by the Russians

USA Today read the Russian Facebook ads so you don’t have to.

Fact Checking Websites

Politifact
Factcheck.org
Washington Post Fact Checker
Snopes