Fake News & Fact Checking
Fake News
"Fake news" is a form of deliberate misinformation, normally with the intent to damage the credibility of an opponent and/or gain financially or politically.
"Fake news" is NOT the same thing as "Satire!" (Though un-critical sharing of satire may result in unintended consequences.)
There are a few different categories of "fake news" items to watch out for:
- Fake, false, or regularly misleading websites that are shared on Facebook and social media. Some of these websites may rely on “outrage” by using distorted headlines and decontextualized or dubious information in order to generate likes, shares, and profits.
- Websites that may circulate misleading and/or potentially unreliable information
- Websites which sometimes use clickbait-y headlines and social media descriptions
- Satire/comedy sites, which can offer important critical commentary on politics and society, but have the potential to be shared as actual/literal news
(Zimdars, 2019, Adapted from: http://iue.libguides.com/fakenews/index)
No single topic falls under a single category - for example, false or misleading medical news may be entirely fabricated (Category 1), may intentionally misinterpret facts or misrepresent data (Category 2), may be accurate or partially accurate but use an alarmist title to get your attention (Category 3) or may be a critique on modern medical practice (Category 4.) Some articles fall under more than one category. It is up to you to do the legwork to make sure your information is good.
How the Spot Fake News. From International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), 2018. Copyright 2018 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). Used by permission. Retrieved from https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/11174
Fact Checking
Fake news is not new, but increasing discussions of "fake news" have surrounded political campaigns and the rise of the Internet and Social media destabilising the distribution of news publications.
It is important to be aware that not all "news" published on the internet is reliable, and similarly, that not all news claimed to be "fake news" is in fact fake. Just because you disagree with the news piece doesn't make it fake.
Fake news can include content created by non-news organisations to drive web users towards ads (i.e. clickbait) or to spread false information (rumors, conspiracy theories, propaganda etc).
There are a number of websites devoted to fact checking news. A select few have be identified below.
If you come across another fact checking website and want to know if you can rely on it, check if the International Fact-Checking Network has accredited the website.
Note: A great place to get good quality news material is via the Library Databases:
- Informit EduTV This link opens in a new window
Provides content across a range of learning areas. As well as documentaries, it includes programs broadcast on pay TV channels such as The History Channel, National Geographic, BBC Knowledge and Discovery.
Fact Checking sites:
A joint project of RMIT University and the ABC
Created by Amnesty International. Focus on validating video content.
A worldwide network of scientists sorting fact from fiction in climate change media coverage.
An Australian based website. All FactChecks are blind reviewed by a second expert.
A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Centre. US focus
The UK's independent fact checking charity.
The Snopes.com web site was founded by David Mikkelson, a project begun in 1994 as an expression of his interest in researching urban legends that has since grown into the oldest and largest fact-checking site on the Internet, one widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and laypersons alike as one of the world’s essential resources.
A fact checking site with a focus on American politics.
Using the World Wide Web
There is so much fantastic information and resources available via the free web, and you should certainly make the most of it.
Remember though, that it is incredibly easy to set up a web page. When you are using the web please make sure you evaluate any information you obtain, particularly if you are using it for academic research.
When looking at a webpage, or any information resource please ask yourself these questions to make sure the information is useful to you.
1) Who? Who has written the information? With a book or journal article this is easy as the information will be on the title page. With a website you need to look for something that gives you this information. Often there is a link labeled "About us" or something similar.
2) What? What is the information based on? Is it just opinion, or is it academically reliable? For it to be academically reliable it needs to give full details of the source of the information. "An insider", "Close Friend", "Someone in the know" are not reliable sources. Look for full citation details. Obviously for reviews etc. opinion pieces are perfectly acceptable and I am not saying *never* use 'nonacademicly reliable" information - I am just saying make sure you are aware of the quality of the information you are using.
3) Where? Where has this information come from? Who is responsible for it being posted online? Is it from an official and reliable source? Have a look at "martinlutherking.org for a obvious example - it is hosted by Stormfront - a white supremist organisation - luckily you can find that information by clicking the "Hosted by" link at the bottom of the page because it would be a bad mistake to believe you are getting objective information from this site.
4) Why? Why is this information being posted? Is it to spread high quality information on a topic, or does it have another, possibly hidden agenda? Remember that bias is not the same as lies. Everything that is said can be true, but important information can be left out leading you to make false assumptions. Have a look at http://www.dhmo.org/ for an extreme example of this.
5) When? When was the information written and when was it put up online? This is less critical in the Arts than it is in the sciences, but you still need to know how old the information is, and whether it is still current. If information is still true, and still useful than it is current - if it has been superseded by new information than it is not. Use your common sense on this. Is the review you are reading of the Abbey Theatre's production of "The playboy of the western world" discussing the first production 1907 where there were riots, or the 2004 production directed by Ben Barnes?
6) How? How is this resource useful to you? Your time is very limited. Make sure you spend your research time on things that are actually going to help you achieve your research goal!