Author: CVMartoni

A short guide to the history of ‘fake news’ and disinformation

Fake News, News & the Internet

Posetti, J., & Matthews, A. (2018). A short guide to the history of ‘fake news’ and disinformation: A new ICFJ learning module [PDF file]. Washington, DC: International Center for Journalists. Retrieved from https://www.icfj.org/sites/default/files/2018-07/A%20Short%20Guide%20to%20History%20of%20Fake%20News%20and%20Disinformation_ICFJ%20Final.pdf.

Description: This short eBook addresses the fact that fake news is not new. It offers an overview of major moments in the history of disinformation, in timeline format. It includes events from the Marc Antony smear campaign of 44BC, to the invention of the Gutenberg printing press in 1493, to the 2005 creation of the Colbert Report, to a 2017 European Union report on fake news. The last few pages of the eBook detail an accompanying learning module.

Why I trust it: This resource is a relatively recent publication that was sponsored by the International Center for Journalists, a nonprofit that has worked with more than 100,000 journalists from 180 countries. Its aim is to provide journalists with resources that enhance their skills and expertise, and the resource itself presents facts without bias.

Use: The best way to arm yourself against fake news is to understand how it developed into what it is today. Use this resource to quickly grasp the overall timeline of disinformation, or use the learning module to help others understand as well.

Access: This resource is free for download from icfj.org.

Measuring news media literacy

News & Media Literacy

Maksl, A., Ashley, S., & Craft, S. Measuring news media literacy. The National Association for Media Literacy Education Journal of Media Literacy Education, (6), 3. Retrieved from https://libproxy.albany.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=103191746&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Description: This scholarly article details a study that measured levels of news media literacy among 500 teenagers. The researchers applied Potter’s 2004 model of media literacy to the concept of news literacy and found that having greater knowledge about topics in the news, conditions under which news is produced, and the effects news can have on society results in higher levels of news media literacy.

Why I trust it: Published by the open-access Journal of Media Literacy Education, the article is peer-reviewed through the University of Rhode Island.

Use: Use this resource to learn about strategies for media literacy assessment. It has a long list of references for further reading.

Access: Users can access this through the Education Source database through the University at Albany Libraries. If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member, you can proxy into the server using your UAlbany ID. Otherwise, you can visit one of the library buildings and use a guest computer pass to access the database.

The challenge that’s bigger than fake news

Fake News, News & Media Literacy

McGrew, S., Ortega, T., Breakstone, J., & Wineburg, S. (2017). The challenge that’s bigger than fake news: Civic reasoning in a social media environment. American Educator, (3), 4. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.510636805&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Description: This scholarly article critiques common strategies used to teach news literacy, arguing that many lesson plans only teach young people to analyze the surface of a website and that “determining who’s behind information and whether it’s worthy of our trust is more complex than a true/false dichotomy” (4).

Why I trust it: Sarah McGrew, one of the article’s authors, co-directs the Civic Online Reasoning Project at the Stanford History Education Group with Joel Breakstone. Breakstone’s research focuses on instructional assessment. Sam Wineburg is the founder of the project and is the Margaret Jacks Professor of Education at Stanford. Teresa Ortega is the project manager.

Use: Use this resource to critique and strengthen your news and web literacy lesson plans.

Access: You can access this through the Gale database through the University at Albany Libraries. If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member, you can proxy into the server using your UAlbany ID. Otherwise, you can visit one of the library buildings and use a guest computer pass to access the database.

Encyclopedia of associations

Associations & Organizations

Gale Research Inc. (2019). Encyclopedia of associations: National organizations of the U.S. Retrieved from http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1056157307.

Description: This resource lists officially recognized national organizations.

Why I trust it: For 65 years, Gale has provided libraries and other educational institutions with databases on a variety of subjects. The publishing company uses a world-wide network of scholars to curate and review its content.

Use: Use this resource to verify the world-wide recognition of an organization with which you plan to become involved.

Access: This resource is available through several university library systems. If it’s not available at your library, try requesting it through an inter-library loan.

Encyclopedia of associations

Associations & Organizations

Gale Research Inc. (2019). Encyclopedia of associations: International organizations. Retrieved from http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1027049926.

Description: This resource lists officially recognized national and international organizations.

Why I trust it: For 65 years, Gale has provided libraries and other educational institutions with databases on a variety of subjects. The publishing company uses a world-wide network of scholars to curate and review its content.

Use: Use this resource to verify the world-wide recognition of an organization with which you plan to become involved.

Access: This resource is available through several university library systems. If it’s not available at your library, try requesting it through an inter-library loan service.

Charity ratings

Associations & Organizations

Charity Watch. (2019). Charity ratings [website]. Retrieved from https://charitywatch.org/charities.

Description: This resource, parented by an independent nonprofit, began back in 1992, and it researches the efficiency, accountability, and governance of nonprofit organizations. It aims to expose wasteful and unethical charities, and it spotlights top ethical charities. It specializes in analyzing financial reports, and, uniquely, it rates social welfare groups, and religious charities as well.

Use: Use Charity Watch to see where an organization you are learning about, investing in, or becoming involved with stands by its methodology.

Access: This resource is free for use through a preferred internet browser from any computer in the United States, and beyond.

BBB scam tracker

Fake News, Scams & Hoaxes

Better Business Bureau. (2019). BBB scam tracker [database]. Retrieved from https://bbb.org/scamtracker.

Description: This resource is a database of reported and investigated scams, compiled and researched by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). BBB is a nonprofit organization that accredits businesses.

Use: Think you’ve stumbled upon a scam? The BBB Scam Tracker might be able to help you determine if it is. Pop keywords into the search bar and see.

Access: This resource is free for use through a preferred internet browser from any computer in the United States, and beyond.

PolitiFact

Fact-Checking, Politics on the Internet

The Poynter Institute. (2019). PolitiFact [website]. Retrieved from https://politifact.com.

Description: This nonprofit-owned investigative team rates political statements for accuracy based on their independent news expertise and then awards them a score on a “truthometer.”

Why I trust it: Politifact’s core values include: thorough reporting, independence, transparency, and fairness. PolitiFact does not accept donations from political parties, elected officials, candidates seeking public office, or anonymous sources.

Use: This organization has only been fact-checking since 2007, but it has since gained a reputation for unbiased investigation into the truth (or lack thereof) of political statements. Use it to gain some perspective on political entities on all sides.

Access: Politifact is free for use through a preferred internet browser from any computer in the United States, and beyond.

A dictionary of political biography

Politics on the Internet

Oxford Reference. (2019). A dictionary of political biography. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com.libproxy.albany.edu/view/10.1093/acref/9780191751080.001.0001/acref-9780191751080.

Description: This online dictionary offers short biographical entries of 870+ noteworthy political figures from the twentieth century, compiled by trustworthy experts.

Why I trust it: Oxford Reference has existed as a produce of scholarly publications since the 15th Century. Currently, the Oxford Press is governed by a large group of academics, and its publications are trusted by libraries worldwide.

Use: There are a lot of names in the news, and some of those people aren’t even alive anymore. Use this dictionary to look up unknown names of major people who have shaped the world. You’ll find trustworthy snapshot biographies. You don’t need to read an entire biographical book to understand how that person plays into the story.

Access: This resource is available through the University at Albany Libraries. If you are a current student, faculty, or staff member, you can proxy into the server using your UAlbany ID. Otherwise, you can visit one of the library buildings and use a guest computer pass to access the database.

American fact finder

Fact-Checking

U.S. Census Bureau. (2019.) American fact finder advanced search. Retrieved from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/searchresults.xhtml?refresh=t.

Description: This is a government-funded database of community facts, from population data, to school district data, to data on income.

Why I trust it: It’s just the data—plain and simple.

Use: Fact check local news by popping any data listed in a local news article into the search bar to see if it matches up or if the sentence is worded to mislead or paint the data in an alternative light.

Access: The American Fact Finder is free for use through a preferred internet browser from any computer in the United States, and beyond.