Friday, February 9, 2018

Why Misinformation and Fake News Can Persist

The ability of your mind to clear "discredited" news stories from your "working memory" is affected by education and also age ("Cognitive Ability and Vulnerability to Fake News," Scientific American, February 6, 2018). In addition, individuals displayed a tendency to believe false statements more if they were repeated over time. Links to the research studies that discuss these results are in the above article so you can see the details and judge their conclusions for yourself.

Review selected hard copy/online library books related to fake news and misinformation at LSC-CyFair Branch Library. Click the title of a listed item, select the "Place Hold" button in the listing, and enter your library card number and PIN for each title you want to request for pick up at the library.

Use these subject words and phrases to find more information in the library catalog:
  • attribution of news
  • communication in politics
  • fake news
  • internet research handbooks
  • journalism corrupt practices
  • mass media political
  • mass media public opinion
  • politics and culture
  • research handbooks
Harper, 2017
call number: 070.4 Att

"Behind most major political stories in the modern era, there is an agenda; an effort by opposition researchers, spin doctors, and outside interests to destroy an idea or a person. The tactic they use is the Smear. Every day, Americans are influenced by the Smear without knowing it. Paid forces cleverly shape virtually every image you cross. . . The trick of the Smear is that it is often based on some shred of truth, but these media-driven "hit pieces" are designed to obscure the truth. Success hinges on the Smear artist's ability to remain invisible; to make it seem as if their work is neither calculated nor scripted. It must appear to be precisely what it is not." - publisher's summary excerpt

University of Chicago Press, 2016
call number: 001.42 Bor

"An accessible, one-stop guide to the why, what, and how of contemporary fact-checking, Borel, an experienced fact-checker, draws on the expertise of more than 200 writers, editors, and fellow checkers." - publisher's summary excerpt

The Truth Matters: A Citizen's Guide to Separating Facts from Lies and Stopping Fake News in Its Tracks by Bruce Bartlett
Ten Speed Press, 2017
call number: in processing

"Today's media and political landscapes are littered with untrustworthy sources and the dangerous concept of  'fake news.' This accessible guide helps you fight this deeply troubling trend and ensure that truth is not a permanent casualty. Written by Bruce Bartlett, a former Senior Policy Analyst in the Reagan administration and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the Treasury Department in the Bush 41 White House, this book presents actionable tips and tricks for reading critically, judging sources, using fact-checking sites, avoiding confirmation bias, identifying trustworthy experts, and more." - publisher's summary excerpt

News Literacy: Helping Students and Teachers Decode Fake News by Robert W. Janke and Bruce S. Cooper
Rowman and Littlefield, 2017
call number: in processing

"Our society faces international challenges from cyber attacks and dissemination of fake news with a goal to destabilize our society. Fake news can be used as a weapon with destructive effects as powerful as any military attack. Fake news can spread as fast as a wildfire carried on the winds of social media. Students and all citizens need to be prepared and informed of ways to quickly understand and distinguish real and fake news." - publisher's summary excerpt