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Media Literacy Guide: News: Does It Make Sense?

Determining what is fake news is necessary and can be difficult. This research guide's purpose is to explain steps for finding the facts, how to use one's judgment and give examples for clarification.

Before you accept the news you read

Things to consider as you read the news:

  • Common sense is a powerful tool.  If someone tells you something that just doesn't seem probable your common sense is working. 
  • And there are sources of information whose primary objective is to amuse (The Onion), to sensationalize (for example The National Enquirer), to recruit or indoctrinate (extremist organizations like the KKK or ISIS)

Common Sense

 

The Daily Steeple

How to Develop Common Sense from WikiHow to do anything

Reid Goldsborough: Dealing with the Device-Addicted Generation from Teacher Librarian, 2016.

Satire and the News

News Satire from Wikipedia (this article cannot be edited)

List of satirical news websites from Wikipedia (this article cannot be edited)

List of satirical television news shows from Wikipedia (this article cannot be edited)

Not just funny: Satirical news has serious political effects from Ohio State University and Science News

Tabloids

Tabloids are famous for news stories that are odd, exaggerated, sometimes crazy and often fake

Carly Harrington - WordPress.com

Ryan Tate: Tabloid Chic: How Racy Headlines Unlock Money and Power from Wired, 2013.

Deborah Schaffer: Shocking Secrets Revealed: The Language of Tabloid Headlines from Charters for Compassion

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