1. How to spot it Why it matters What to do about it
FAKE NEWS
How to spot it
Why it matters
What to do about it

2. Context Introduction to U.S. Politics Topic: Media Democracy
Popular Sovereignty requires full, accurate knowledge
Broader goal: Critical reading and analysis
Topic: Media
Functions of media in a democratic society
Watchdogs
Agenda Setting
Framing

3. Context 2016 Election, and the role of “fake news” Background reading
“This Analysis Shows How Viral Fake Election News Stories Outperformed Real News On Facebook” Buzzfeed
By August 2016, top-performing fake news had more Facebook engagement than top-performing real news
“How Fake News Goes Viral: A Case Study” NYTimes
Twitter claim that anti-Trump protestors came to Austin in busses
“Think Before You Share: Video Proof showing no planes hit the WTC on 9/11” Slate
As an example of how to deconstruct fake news

4. Assignment
Students formed groups of three. Each submitted their proposed topic to me. All had to be different.
In a 10-minute presentation, they covered the following questions:
1. Where did you come across this story?
2. What made you think it might be incorrect?
3. How many people viewed this story? How do you know?
4. Why do you think the author/creator did this? What did they have to gain?
5. Did this story impact American politics? How so?

5. Topics Bananas Are Being Injected with HIV
Trump Offering Free One-Way Tickets to Africa & Mexico
Republicans Will Rewrite the Constitution
Obama Issued an Executive Order Outlawing the Pledge of Allegiance
Ted Cruz’s Father Was Implicated in the Assassination of JFK
Trump Sent his Private Plane to Rescue Stranded Marines
Hilary Clinton Ran a Child Sex Ring Out of a Pizza Parlor

6. Commonalities Poor grammar/many typos Very short articles
No author listed, or no information about the author
No verifiable facts
Lacks specificity (“many media reports….”)
Lack of website credibility (no “About Us” section)

7. Results Students said they enjoyed the project
All said they learned something about how to identify fake news
All said they could apply this project to reading “news” in the future, in order to view it critically