This document discusses fake news and how to identify reliable sources of information. It begins by defining key terms like fake news, media bias, and editorial perspective. Fake news refers to intentionally false stories, while media bias can occur when reporting lacks context or diversity of views. Editorial perspective acknowledges that all reporters have a point of view. The document encourages reflecting critically on one's own media consumption and provides a framework for analyzing sources based on their journalistic quality and partisan bias. It aims to help people identify high-quality sources and be more informed media consumers.

1. Fake
Nicole Branch
Santa Clara
University Library
Alternative Facts & Confirmation Bias
Image courtesy of Flickr user Dennis Skley
Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
International License. Curriculum
created by Amy Sonnie, Emily
Weak, Kathleen DiGiovanni and
Christine Ianieri, Oakland Public
Library.

2. Is fake news a
constitutional
crisis?
Image courtesy of Flickr user Alex Schlotzer

3. Today we will…
• Define and recognize “fake news”, media bias, and editorial
perspective
• Engage with tools to be more self-reflective and critical media
consumers
• Reflect on the role of diverse media and high-quality journalism in a
healthy democracy (and academic life)

4. What is “Fake News”?

5. Isitrealorisitfake?
Image courtesy of Flickr user Ryan.Berry

6. Isitrealorisitfake?

7. Isitrealorisitfake?

8. Isitrealorisitfake?

9. Defining Terms
• “Fake news”
• Media bias
• Editorial perspective

10. Fake News
• Completely fabricated information
• Old news repackaged to look new
• Images altered to misrepresent reality
• Stories that spin bits of real news into distorted or shocking claims
• Intentionally deceitful
• Satire vs. fake news

11. Media Bias
• Information that is unfair, unbalanced or incomplete
• Often lacks context and diversity
• May rely on stereotypes, loaded imagery, easy explanations or highly
partisan influence
• Can be intentional or as a result of poor journalistic practices

12. Speaking of journalistic standards…
There's "no other job where you get paid to tell the truth...we are
detectives for the people." – Wayne Barrett, Village Voice
• Seek the truth and report it
• Minimize harm
• Act independently
• Be accountable and transparent
 Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics

13. Editorial perspective
• Every reporter, editor or publisher has a point of view.
• Transparent POV vs. hidden POV
• Types of news sources (editorials, blogs, investigative journalism)

14. Complex/
Analytical
Meets High
Standards
Sensational
or Clickbait
Left Liberal Conservative Right
JournalisticQuality
Partisan Bias

15. Our media consumption
• Brainstorm media sources
• Include any you know about (like/dislike)
• One media source per sticky note

16. Reflection
• How was it (hard, difficult) completing this exercise?
• What kinds of things did you consider when deciding where to place
things?
• Was there anything you felt could fall into more than one category
and why?

17. NewsQualityGrid
By Vanessa Otero

18. Next Time
• Analyzing sources
• Evaluation criteria
• Tools to use for your assignment

19. Questions?
Nicole Branch
Librarian
nbranch@scu.edu
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Curriculum created by Amy Sonnie, Emily
Weak, Kathleen DiGiovanni and Christine Ianieri, Oakland Public Library.