Fake News Resources
To suggest additions, please email Anne Hamland at comm.coordinator@wvls.org.
What is Fake News?
Intentionally fraudulent websites, re-tweeted inaccuracies, we have all lived through fake news in some form. Please find resources below for libraries and educators to use in helping patrons identify “fake news.”
How can libraries combat fake news?
Use this checklist when you are reading or watching news.
- What is the source? Can you find more information on the source?
- Is there author listed? Can you find more information on the author?
- Look at the date. Is this an old article?
- Read beyond the headline of publications, does the story match the headline?
- Look at the source of the quotes. Are quotes cited?
- Are image sources cited?
- Check your biases.
- Consult the experts. Are there other articles on the same topic?
- Look at the domain and URL. Does the website look credible?
- look and research quotes and quote sources
- Reverse search images (right click on image and choose to search Google).
Articles
- Creative Ways to Fight Fake News – February 9, 2017, Public Libraries Online
- Facebook Mounts Efforts to Limit Tide of Fake News – December 15, 2016, NYT
- Facebook steps up Fake News fight with ‘Related Articles’ – August 3, 2017, CNN Tech
- Fighting Fake News: American Libraries Dewey Decibel Podcast – August 1, 2017
- Fighting Fake News: how libraries can lead the way on media literacy – December 26, 2016, American Libraries
- For Fact-Checking Websites, Snopes, a Bigger Role Brings More Attacks – December 25, 2016, NYT
- Google and Facebook Take Aim at Fake News Sites – November 14, 2016, NYT
- How Fake News Goes Viral: A Case Study – November 20, 2016, NYT
- In the War on Fake News, School Libraries Have a Huge Role to Play – November 16, 2016, The Verge
- Inside a Fake News Sausage Factory: ‘This is All About Income’ – November 25, 2016, NYT
- Librarian Takes It Off in the Stacks; Goes Viral – January 9, 2017, Public Libraries Online
- Most Students Don’t Know When News is Fake, Stanford Study Finds – November 21, 2016, Wall Street Journal
- Snope’s Field Guide to Fake News Sites and Hoax Purveyors – January 25, 2017, Snopes.com
Evaluation Guides and Infographics
- Beyond Fake News: Peer to Peer Review – Library Journal
- Center for News Literacy – Digital Resource Center
- Fact vs. Fake: Resources to Help Librarians Navigate Digital Literacy – ALSC resource list
- Fake or Real? How to Self-Check the News and Get the Facts – NPR
- A Finder’s Guide to Facts – NPR
- How to identify Fake Information? the CRAAP Test – NAACP Legal Defense Fund
- (Printable) How to Spot Fake News – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
- (Printable) Identifying Fake News: An Infographic and Educator Resources
- Information Literacy (Fake News) – A resource list from Jaime Healy-Plotkin
- (Video and Slides) A Knowledge Organization in an Age of Alternative Facts – R. David Lankes presented at the Sarasota County Public Library Staff Development Day
- Real News vs. Fake News – Pace University Library Guide
- The Smell Test: Educators can counter fake news with information literacy. Here’s how – School Library Journal
- Truth, Truthiness, Triangulation – School Library Journal
Fact-checking Websites
- FactCheck.org
- False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirucal “News” Sources – Melissa Zimdars
- Hoaxy, a website from Indiana University that “visualizes the spread of claims and related fact checking online.” “A claim may be a fake news article, hoax, rumor, conspiracy theory, satire or even an accurate report.”
- Politifact.com
- Snopes.com
Blogs
- Fake News: A Library Resource Round-Up – The Programming Librarian
- The Fake-News Fad: Let it Fade – School Library Journal
- Post-Truth and Fake News – Mr. Library Dude
- (Printable) Tips for Spotting Fake News – Library Girl Blog January 25, 2017
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