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Evaluation of Digital Media: Fake News

What is Fake News?

What is "fake news" anyway?  Fake news originates with made-up stories, propaganda, and/or false information.  It spreads with social media.  The purpose of fake news is to mislead and/or gather clicks for advertisement revenue. Sometimes mainstream news organizations pick up these stories and republish them as fact.  As a result, it's necessary to fact check if you think something may not be true.  Note: Satire stories aren't considered "fake news" as they are designed to entertain.  The reader should understand that the news is written as comedy.

The Media Today

Logical Fallacies Lesson

Fact Checker Search Engine

Use this search engine to look for news stories that you suspect may be FAKE NEWS.  The sources are factcheck.org, politifact.com, snopes.com, and the Washington Post's Fact Checker.

Website Evaluation Forms

Click to judge FAKE NEWS STORIES! Pick One.

Open another tab and use SNOPES.COM to fill out the Worksheet

Fact checking online is more important than ever