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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Must read! This book explains how the modern media works and gives tips to dodge fake news.
“Fake news undermines public confidence in legitimate news sources. It sways people to believe things that aren’t true--and to disbelieve things that are. It feeds on and promotes prejudice and paranoia, and it derails rational discussion Fake news harms individuals and institutions and is a threat to democracy itself.” (72)
I received a Netgalley ARC of Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction by Michael Miller, and while I was expecting to learn something new in my reading, I was not prepared for how I ended up speeding through this nonfiction title, enjoying every minute of explanation, example, and definition. As a high school librarian, I work with students on inquiry-related projects where validating sources is a major concern. I appreciated that this book defined terms (including those that were unfamiliar to me but that I wish I had been using for years, such as illusory truth effect) alongside anecdotal evidence, such as the conspiracy theory that “chemtrails” from airplanes cause cancer, that made the terms come alive to the reader. The treatment of political bias in reporting, alongside the discussion of which news outlets offer more opinion and analysis than hard news, made the subject feel straightforward and nonpartisan. Miller doesn’t stop at defining terms and providing examples, though; he also explains why his readers should care, explaining that healthy democracy depends on solid journalism and then drawing connections between fake news and the Communist China of today and the Nazi Germany of World War II. His discussion of the origins of fake news and why we as citizens must combat it gave me new words to use when discussing epidemic of false information on the internet, and it did so in a way that would be appealing to both teachers and students.
In the end, Miller sums up the history of fake news, its implications in today’s society, and what readers of any age can do to combat it in 101 pages before providing extensive source notes, glossary, and suggestions for further reading. Short enough to not bore young adult readers but filled with need-to-know information in the age of unreliable sources, Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction is a primer for anyone wanting to know how to sort through the detritus of the internet; school libraries looking to support inquiry and digital citizenship should purchase for both student and instructor use.
I received a Netgalley ARC of Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction by Michael Miller, and while I was expecting to learn something new in my reading, I was not prepared for how I ended up speeding through this nonfiction title, enjoying every minute of explanation, example, and definition. As a high school librarian, I work with students on inquiry-related projects where validating sources is a major concern. I appreciated that this book defined terms (including those that were unfamiliar to me but that I wish I had been using for years, such as illusory truth effect) alongside anecdotal evidence, such as the conspiracy theory that “chemtrails” from airplanes cause cancer, that made the terms come alive to the reader. The treatment of political bias in reporting, alongside the discussion of which news outlets offer more opinion and analysis than hard news, made the subject feel straightforward and nonpartisan. Miller doesn’t stop at defining terms and providing examples, though; he also explains why his readers should care, explaining that healthy democracy depends on solid journalism and then drawing connections between fake news and the Communist China of today and the Nazi Germany of World War II. His discussion of the origins of fake news and why we as citizens must combat it gave me new words to use when discussing epidemic of false information on the internet, and it did so in a way that would be appealing to both teachers and students.
In the end, Miller sums up the history of fake news, its implications in today’s society, and what readers of any age can do to combat it in 101 pages before providing extensive source notes, glossary, and suggestions for further reading. Short enough to not bore young adult readers but filled with need-to-know information in the age of unreliable sources, Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction is a primer for anyone wanting to know how to sort through the detritus of the internet; school libraries looking to support inquiry and digital citizenship should purchase for both student and instructor use.
While popularized by President Donald Trump, the term "fake news" actually originated toward the end of the 19th century, in an era of rampant yellow journalism. Since then, it has come to encompass a broad universe of news stories and marketing strategies ranging from outright lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories to hoaxes, opinion pieces, and satire—all facilitated and manipulated by social media platforms. This title explores journalistic and fact-checking standards, Constitutional protections, and real-world case studies, helping readers identify the mechanics, perpetrators, motives, and psychology of fake news. A final chapter explores methods for assessing and avoiding the spread of fake news.
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This is a short overview on the history of fake news, why it is important to distinguish fact from fiction, how it can be harmful, and what we as individuals can do to slow its spread. I think this book is important for young people to read as they spend so much of there time online. Media literacy, or information literacy in general, is a very important skill to own. This book breaks down the subject in easy to understand language and provides ample examples and sidebars for further understanding.
*I was provided access to this book through netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!
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This is a short overview on the history of fake news, why it is important to distinguish fact from fiction, how it can be harmful, and what we as individuals can do to slow its spread. I think this book is important for young people to read as they spend so much of there time online. Media literacy, or information literacy in general, is a very important skill to own. This book breaks down the subject in easy to understand language and provides ample examples and sidebars for further understanding.
*I was provided access to this book through netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!
Great info for anyone, definitely should be used in high school and college classes.
I want this on Kindle for easy quoting on Facebook in discussions with my friends and family who share links without checking sources.
I want this on Kindle for easy quoting on Facebook in discussions with my friends and family who share links without checking sources.
As a librarian and teacher, I was quite excited to find this book. I've taught information literacy at the college level to education majors for years and thought this might be a nice "textbook" for them to take into the K-12 classroom and use with pre-college students. However, after getting a chance to explore it in depth, it did not live up to my expectations. I will share a few examples after I get a chance to review it on my blog. But for now, I'm disappointed to share it does not get my vote.
I was impressed that Miller made sure to use both definition of fake news -- news that is false and is spread either by gullible people or by liars, and news that is unpleasant and therefore denied by the people who don't want to hear it. Sadly, Trump and his supporters are a lot of the examples of both, which gives the book a slightly partisan feel, but what can you do when that's what the facts are? Miller makes a game effort to show both sides, but in reality most of the people clicking away on ridiculous news stories were Republicans, and so that's where the fabulists went, creating a sweet circle of lies, clicks, and more lies.
It was short and clear, with sections on definitions, believers, and harms, as well as an ending of how to avoid it. Few people will follow all the advice, but then once a source becomes trusted that's not necessary.
I would have liked to see a deeper understanding of First Amendment principles in the chapter on how to avert false Fake News. I cringed when I saw the old "fire in a theater" exemption), as well as a discussion on how libel laws differ internationally in the libel section.
It was short and clear, with sections on definitions, believers, and harms, as well as an ending of how to avoid it. Few people will follow all the advice, but then once a source becomes trusted that's not necessary.
I would have liked to see a deeper understanding of First Amendment principles in the chapter on how to avert false Fake News. I cringed when I saw the old "fire in a theater" exemption), as well as a discussion on how libel laws differ internationally in the libel section.
As a librarian, I feel that this is a very informative read and lesson on fake news. Teens need to read this now, more than ever to combat these pressing times. Yes, it reads like a textbook but I don't think it could be read any other way. I found it to be very interesting and discover new lessons along the way.