Spotting Fake News

I recently saw Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward speak at Macomb Community College. It was really, really great. However, I was disappointed with the fact that they were not answering the audience questions directly, or very well. They dropped into stories a bunch and that was totally awesome.

The question that irked me the most that was asked and not answered: How can you tell if something is fake news?

The question is painfully relevant and these two titans of journalism and reporting just did not have an answer beyond "I don't know."

Here are some of my suggestions:

1. "Call a librarian," was the suggestion from my pal that attended Bernstein/Woodward. We're trained to spot fake news and can help you out.
2. Check where the source appears on this chart. The higher and more toward the center, the better quality and less bias you can expect.
3. A couple quick tells are also looking at the "About" or "Contact" section. If neither section exists, that's a red flag. 
4. No bylines - no deal. If you are reading stuff that doesn't have an author attributed to it, move along. Any dope, malicious person, talking head or other jerky can plop anything online, so if you can't track where it's coming from, it's probably junk.
5. Memes aren't news. That's it. Do better.

Local News. Feelin' It.

You read that right - I like the local news. I think local reporters have an opportunity to get a clearer story than larger media outlets. Focusing on my city and state help me understand what's going on around me, who my neighbors are and where I might be able to help.

In addition to the local news and newspapers, I listen to these podcasts:

• Crain's Detroit Business
• Friday Morning Podcast
• No BS News Hour with Charlie LeDuff

How to Spot Fake News

Be a good citizen and do your research. Facts are important.

From the IFLA Blog:

Year of Gratitude - Day 156 - Feedly

Since Google Reader met its demise, I've had an empty spot in my heart, but NO MORE! At first, I just used Netvibes, something a friend of mine pointed out back when Web 2.0 was a thing. However, as I tried to use it with my phone, I realized it was incredibly glitchy and hard to organize.

I've finally found a great RSS reader: Feedly. It is clean, easy to use and gives me a variety of ways to share, save and organize stuff that I read. And it doesn't crash on my phone. Thumbs up!

Year of Gratitude - Day 127 - Smartphones

There are many reasons to love smartphones. Personally, they have always made me more productive and organized. People can be in touch. Smartphones really are little miracle devices.

However, what made me think of writing this post and perhaps what I am most grateful for about cell phones is that nowadays, it keeps a lot of folks honest. Not that people stop spewing stupid, but now that stupid is digitally captured and set ablaze by the viral forces of the internet. It is really quite remarkable to watch. I hope that these real images and sound bites can spark social justice and promote social awareness and cultural dialogue.

Year of Gratitude - Day 89 - Democracy Now!

Say what you will, I am grateful to have Democracy Now! as a news resource.

Year of Gratitude - Day 81 - "You've probably never even watched Fox News"

A friend of mine challenged me with that statement: "You've probably never even watched Fox News." Indeed, he was right. Whenever it came on, I couldn't stand to watch it for long. While I like to keep my politics to myself, I will admit to being fairly liberal, so Fox News really isn't my jam.

However, as I grow older, I realize that I have to be much more diligent when gathering my news. My old news feeds were all liberal, left-leaning papers. So after my friend challenged me to get in a little Fox News, I decided to add their top news to my feed. Strangely enough, it's actually been pretty great. When you remove the talking heads, Fox News doesn't do too terrible of a job reporting the news. 

I am grateful to have friends with many different perspectives. These kinds of interactions are what keep me a life long learner.