In 1901, David Hänig published research that led to what we know today as the taste map: an illustration that divides the tongue into four separate areas. It has since been published in textbooks and newspapers. There is just one problem: the map is wrong. So how do misconceptions like this spread, and what makes a fake fact so easy to believe?
TedEd Lesson: Why People Fall for Misinformation—Joseph Isaac Read More »
The Beyond Fake News infographic identifies the 10 types of potentially misleading news, aimed to help in the fight against misinformation and disinformation. It was created to be used in class with real-world examples to spark classroom debate and reflection on the constructions of media. EAVI is currently updating the infographic and will share it on the website once completed.
Infographic: Beyond Fake News—10 Types of Misleading News Read More »
Help students discern fact from fiction in the information they access not only at school but in the devices they carry in their pockets and backpacks. The advent of the 24-hour news cycle, citizen journalism and an increased reliance on social media as a trusted news source have had a profound effect not only on how we get our news, but also on how we evaluate sources of information, share that information and interact with others in online communities.
Fact vs. Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in the Age of Fake News (2018) Read More »
Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion? It can be a hard thing to understand. Some things are facts—like the number of robots in this book. Other things are opinions—like which robot would make the best friend, or which robot dances best. And sometimes to tell the difference between a fact and an opinion, you need to wait to get more information
Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots (2020) Read More »
What is fake news? How can the news be wrong? How do we know if what we’re reading is true or not? The concept of fake news and the media as a whole is discussed as part of the What’s the Issue? series. What’s the Issue asks “what’s all the fuss about?,” reviewing what is at stake when we think about fake news aimed at helping young people understand this difficult subject and provide them with tools to inform their own opinions on the issue.
Educators have long struggled to teach students to be critical consumers of the information that they encounter. This struggle is exacerbated by the amount of information available thanks to the Internet and mobile devices. Students must learn how to determine whether or not the information they are accessing is reputable.
The Conspiracy Chart organizes conspiracy theories threat level and link to reality. The chart, developed by Abbie Richards, a science researcher and disinformation and misinformation expert, has gone viral bringing widespread exposure to harmful conspiracy theories.
How can we tackle the ongoing challenge of so-called ‘fake news’? Gianfranco Polizzi, PhD Researcher in the Department of Media at Communications at LSE, argues that we all have a responsibility to learn critical literacy to help us better to evaluate information, both on- and offline, and here sets out the responsibilities held by the different actors involved. This post was first published on the London School of Economics’ Media Policy Project Blog.
From the authors of the bestselling Fact vs. Fiction, this book offers easy-to-implement lessons to engage students in becoming media literacy “digital detectives,” looking for clues, questioning motives, uncovering patterns, developing theories and, ultimately, delivering a verdict.
Kids spend between 6 to 9 hours online daily, excluding the time they spend online during the school day. Unfortunately, harmful content persists on social media, including falsehoods that can lead to targeted violence. As of 2021, only two states require media literacy courses in public schools. This statistic became the impetus for the creation of How2INFORM (H2I). H2I is an initiative designed to engage middle school and high school students in fact-based research to combat the rise of dangerous images and messaging on social media. Misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and conspiracy theories persist on social media.
Combating Misinformation Online, One Meme at a Time Read More »
