Fake News

The Be Media Smart campaign was developed by members of Media Literacy Ireland to help people tell the difference between reliable and accurate information and deliberately false or misleading information. 

STOP

• Read more than the headline.
• Don't assume that a picture or photo is giving you the whole story.
• Just because information goes viral, or is trending, doesn't mean it's accurate.

THINK

• Think carefully about what the information is for.
• Consider your own biases.
• See if the information is being reported anywhere else.

CHECK

• Look closely at the web address.
• Find out who the author, producer or publisher is.
• Look at the detail to check for accuracy. 
• Ask the experts.
                                                                                                  (Media Literacy Ireland, 2019)

'the ability to think critically and make balanced 
 judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to reach and express informed views and to engage fully with society'

         (Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP), 2018)

When you think about it, information literacy is a very useful skill-set to have against fake news.
Its emphasis on critical, objective thinking is a big help when it comes to evaluating the credibility of news sites. 

Information literacy makes us aware we can no longer blindly trust information, helps us to be on the alert, constantly
wary and vigilant about information, and reminds us that it is our responsibility not to spread misinformation.

(Brown, 2014)

Follow the steps in the chart below to decide whether a news item is real or fake! 

(NewseumEd, 2020)