Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the meaning of fake news in the digital age and on the debate on disinformation in scholarly literature, in the light of the ethics of library and information profession.

Design/methodology/approach

Revision of a keynote address at the BOCATSSS2020 conference, this paper offers an overview of current literature comparing it with a moment in the past that was crucial for information: post-Second World War time, when Wiener (1948) founded cybernetics and C.P. Snow advocated for “The two cultures” (1959).

Findings

The complex issue demands a multi-disciplinary approach: there is not one solution, and some approaches risk limiting the freedom of expression, yet countering the phenomenon is a moral obligation for library and information science professionals.

Originality/value

Comparing the present digital revolution with the past, this paper opens questions on the ethical commitment of information professionals.

中文翻译：

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关于假新闻，看门人和LIS专业人员：手指还是月亮？

目的

本文的目的是根据图书馆和信息职业的伦理学，反思数字时代假新闻的含义，以及学术文献中关于虚假信息的辩论。

设计/方法/方法

修订了BOCATSSS2020会议上的主旨演讲，本文提供了当前文献的概述，并将其与过去对于信息至关重要的时刻进行了比较：第二次世界大战时期，维也纳（1948年）创立了控制论，CP Snow主张代表“两种文化”（1959年）。

发现

复杂的问题需要采取多学科的方法：没有一种解决方案，有些方法可能会限制表达自由，但是应对这一现象是图书馆和信息科学专业人员的道德义务。

创意/价值

将当前的数字革命与过去进行比较，本文对信息专业人员的道德承诺提出了疑问。