Can Librarians Save Us from Fake News?
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Fake news "is not journalism that changes over time; it's not journalism in which a reporter conveys wrong information because sources have given that reporter wrong information; none of that is fake news," Schneider said. "That's the reality of imperfect journalism, day in and day out, trying to do the best it can." The distinction, Schneider added, is intent. When a news outlet or reporter sets out to purposefully deceive or mislead, or knowingly publishes fabricated information, that is fake news.
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Mostly, librarians are fighting fake news with education. Schneider and the journalism school are partnering with the university's library to create a news and information workshop or tutorial. At the University of Michigan, a group of librarians have developed a "Fake News, Lies, and Propaganda" course for fall 2017.
Many libraries are now directly participating in curriculum development, said Julie Todaro, president of the American Library Association (ALA). Others have added "fake news" resources to their websites to teach news consumers to be more discerning.
"This is in our wheelhouse, this is what we've always done," Todaro said. "And we call it a variety of things—information literacy, information fluency."
Todaro often directs news consumers to the CRAAP test, a list of criteria put out by the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico. The test includes a list of several questions to ask in each of five categories: currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.
She also suggests people view an online guide with over 2,000 pages of vetted information about fake news, or "alternative truth," and to her own library's website, which offers a tutorial on fake news.
"For us as librarians, this is exactly what we do," said Doreen Bradley, one of the librarians who helped with the course proposal. "We collect everything, whether we agree with that perspective or not."
What's the curriculum like for a fake news class? The Michigan librarians are not entirely sure yet. Ideally, students will learn to understand their own perspectives and realize no source or individual is completely objective. Instructors will also urge students to avoid contributing to the spread of fake news by pausing to verify information before sharing an article on social media, Bradley said.
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