“A democracy requires open access to ideas. It requires a willingness to struggle and learn, to question our own suppositions and biases, to open ourselves as citizens, and a nation, to a world of books and thought. If we become a country of superficiality and easy answers based on assumptions and not one steeped in reason and critical learning, we will have lost the foundation of our founding and all that has allowed our nation to grow into our modern United States.”
― Dan Rather, What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism
This guide will help you navigate through the many and varied news articles that now populate our news feeds, blogs, Facebook and other social media sites.
Is it credible? Is it disinformation? Is it click bait? Check it out before you post!
Selected Books
The books listed here are available at Young Library at the University of Kentucky as indicated. However, these can most likely be found in many public or academic libraries and all three are available at Amazon.
Blur by
Blur provides a road map, or more specifically, reveals the craft that has been used in newsrooms by the very best journalists for getting at the truth. In an age when the line between citizen and journalist is becoming increasingly unclear, Blur is a crucial guide for those who want to know what's true.
Call Number: Young Library Books - 4th Floor (PN4815.2 .K68 2010 )Publication Date: 2010
UnSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation by
Written by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the founders of the acclaimed website FactCheck.org, unSpun reveals the secrets of separating facts from disinformation, such as: the warning signs of spin, hype, and bogus news; common tricks used to deceive us; how to find trustworthy and objective sources of information
ISBN: 1400065666Publication Date: 2007-04-24
A Field Guide to Lies by
We need to think critically about the words and numbers we encounter if we want to be successful at work, at play, and in making the most of our lives, checking plausibility and reasoning--not passively accepting information, repeating it, and making decisions based on it.
Call Number: Young Library Books - 3rd Floor (BC177 .L486 2016)Publication Date: 2016
- CRAAP TestChecklist to analyze information - an article, newspaper, website, etc. to determine if it is credible.
- Fake or Real? How to Self-Check the News and Get the Facts Article from National Public Radio (NPR)
- Are Bots Following You? How to tell if a bot or a real person is following you! From the New York Times.
- Information Literacy: It's Become a Priority in an Era of Fake News Najmabadi, Shannon. The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 26, 2017.
- Truthy Lies and Surreal Truths: a Plea for Critical Digital Literacies Shafferm Kris. Hybrid Pedagogy, a digital journal of learning, teaching and technology. December 8, 2016.
- The Rise of 'fake news', Manipulation and 'Alternative Facts' From - BBC Newsnight
- How Fake News Grows in a Post-Fact World Ted Talk, Published on Mar 9, 2017 As a journalist with extensive experience, Ali Velshi has had the opportunity to witness all forms of news. One type in particular poses a threat that has been exacerbated in our digital media society - fake news. Ali discusses the problems of fake news, how we are all affected by it, and how individuals can ensure the news they’re reading is rooted in fact, not fiction. has had the opportunity to witness all forms of news. One type in particular poses a threat that has been exacerbated in our digital media society - fake news. Ali discusses the problems of fake news, how we are all affected by it, and how individuals can ensure the news they’re reading is rooted in fact, not fiction.
- Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning Over the past year and a half (2015-2016), the Stanford History Education Group has prototyped, field tested, and validated a bank of assessments that tap civic online reasoning - the ability to judge the credibility of information that flood young people's smartphones, tablets, and computers.
- Identifying disinformation: an ABC
This paper argues that the essence of disinformation is the intent to deceive. While such an intent is difficult to prove, it can be inferred by reference to three key criteria, termed the “ABC approach”. These criteria are: the accuracy of factual statements, balance in reporting and the credibility of the sources chosen.
Susan K. Smith, Engineering Librarian
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