Brian Housand, Ph.D. brianhousand.com @brianhousand

1. FAKE NEWS
FIGHTING
Teaching Critical Thinking In A Post-Truth World
Dr. Brian Housand
brianhousand.com/fakenews
@brianhousand

2. –T. S. Eliot
“April is the cruellest month…”

4. http://www.webconstructionzone.com/ConstructionZone.jpg

5. http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/wall-e/images/6412320/title/wall-e-wallpaper-wallpaper
“If something works,
you shouldn’t do it again.
We want to do something
that is new, original —
something where
there’s a good
chance
of failure.”

6. HOW WE GOT TO NOW

7. 2006

8. 2006

9. 2006

10. 2006

11. 2006

12. 2006

13. reliable

15. How do you know the
information is reliable?

16. WOEFULLY
UNPREPARED

18. 62%

19. An adjective defined as ‘relating to or
denoting circumstances in which objective
facts are less influential in shaping public
opinion than appeals to emotion and
personal belief’.

20. en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2016
“POST-TRUTH” FREQUENCY

22. “Don’t believe
everything you
read on the
internet just
because there’s a
quote and a
picture next to it.”
Abraham Lincoln

23. 44%of tweens and teens feel they can
tell fake news from real news.

24. 31%shared a story in the last 6 months
that turned out to be wrong.

26. bluff the listener game

28. 1. Find two news stories or websites that are at least
some what plausible but are false.
2. Locate one news story or website that seems
unlikely but is factual.
3. Create a Google Document or Slides presentation
that contains the three stories.
4. Share your one link with the group.
5. BONUS POINTS if the three stories are related or
focused on one topic.

29. Every man
should have
a built-in
automatic
crap detector
operating
inside
him.
Every man
should have
a built-in
automatic
crap detector
operating
inside
him.

30. CRAAP
TEST

31. CURRENCY
The timeliness of the information
When was the information published or posted?
Has the information been revised or updated?
Does your topic require current information, or will
older sources work as well?
Are the links functional?
CURRENCY

32. RELEVANCEThe importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your
question?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level?
Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining
this is one you will use?
Would you be comfortable citing this source in your
research paper?

33. AUTHORITYThe source of the information
Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
What are the author's credentials or organizational
affiliations?
Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email
address?
Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?

34. ACCURACY
The reliability, truthfulness and correctness
Where does the information come from?
Is the information supported by evidence?
Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Can you verify any of the information in another source or from
personal knowledge?
Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?

35. PURPOSEThe reason the information exists
What is the purpose of the information?
Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
Do the authors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious,
institutional or personal biases?

36. CURRENCY
RELEVANCE
AUTHORITY
ACCURACY
PURPOSE

37. 76% of teachers surveyed “strongly agree” with the assertion that internet search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to find information quickly and easily.
76%

38. Agree with the notion that the amount of information available online today is overwhelming to most students.
83%

39. Today’s digital technologies discourage students from using a wide range of sources when conducting research.
71%

40. In what year was the first
U.S. postage stamp issued?
Who or what was on it?
How much did it cost?

41. powersearchingwithgoogle.com

42. bit.ly/search-challenges

43. “With great power there must
also come — great responsibility”

44. SUPER HERO REPORTERS

46. newseum.org/todaysfrontpages

47. allsides.com

48. JUST THE FACTS

50. usafacts.org

52. youradchoices.com/learn

53. Around here we don’t look
backwards for very long…
We keep moving forward,
opening up new doors and doing
new things because we’re
curious, and curiosity keeps
leading us down new paths.

54. Dr. Brian Housand
brianhousand.com
@brianhousand