Fake News Resources

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).

Self-paced

• Fake News, Lies, and a For-credit Class: Lessons Learned from Teaching a 7-Week Fake News Undergraduate Library Course
  • Angie Oehrli, University of Michigan Libraries, May-June 2018

Articles

• ALSC Supporting Libraries in the Post-Election Environment – Living Document
• 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
• How to Recognize Russian Propaganda on Social Media – August 28, 2017, lifehacker
• 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
• ‘Rough Translation’: What Americans Can Learn From Fake News in Ukraine – August 21, 2017, NPR
• 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 Satirical “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