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Breaking the Spin Cycle: Teaching Complexity in the Age of Fake News
- portal: Libraries and the Academy
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 19, Number 3, July 2019
- pp. 461-484
- 10.1353/pla.2019.0027
- Article
- Additional Information
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abstract:
This article describes a discussion-based approach for teaching college students to identify the characteristics of ethical journalism and scholarly writing, by comparing fake news with credible information in a strategically planned slideshow. Much has been written on the need to instruct our students about disinformation. This librarian shares a lesson plan that engages students' critical thinking skills by using a blend of humor, analysis, and a compelling visual presentation. The teaching method is contextualized by research on the distrust of the press and scientific evidence since the rise of hyper-partisan cable news, Russian troll farms, and alternative facts.