Analyzing and Evaluating Real News, Fake or Junk News, and False Claims
Write a 1400-word essay (including the Works Cited page) on ONE of these topics.
Topic One:
This topic requires three news sources and three articles from the SJC library databases and from reputable online sources for a total of at least six sources. Make sure at least one article is from the SJC library.
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Choose a news topic to explore. This topic can be one that you already follow in the news. If you have a topic you regularly read about, then you may use that one.
If you dont pay attention to the news, you can find a news topic by choosing one from the any of these San Jac library databases:
Issues and Controversies you should be able to find a place to click on all issues to view a list of topics covered in the news.
Opposing Viewpoints in this database, you can also browse current event topics
New York Times in Education this has broad topics and lists articles once you click into it. Remember you are looking for a broad news topic right for which you can later find articles and not choosing articles
Once you have a news topic, find three sources about it from three different publications. A publication is a publisher of information such as a newspaper, magazine, website, video platform, and so on. The Houston Chronicle is a publication. An article from The Houston Chronicle is a source. Tik Tok is a social publication or publishing platform. One users Tik Tok video is a source.
At least one source should be genuine and at least one source should be fake or misinformation/disinformation.
Using these articles you found and analyzing about them in a detailed way, write an essay to teach other college students an effective news reading strategy that would help them to find correct information about current events online and help them not be manipulated by false information.
In your essay, be sure to address these questions below. It is up to you where in the essay you address these questions; however, please write in essay format as though you are writing an article to an audience of readers. Do not write in a question/answer or bullet point format.
Answer these questions in reference to your sources by analyzing the sources you chose closely and explaining to your readers an effective news-reading and evaluation strategy.
What is the most effective way for people reading the news to handle information that is complex or hard to understand?
How should people go about determining which way the publication leans politically, or in other words whether it is liberal-leaning or conservative leaning or leaning in some other direction?
How should someone go about researching the reporter or author and whether that person is trustworthy?
What should people do to figure out if something is false information, also known as junk news/fake news, misinformation, or disinformation?
How should people figure out if an image or chart or graph or video is faked or providing false information?
Overall, what is the best way to go about reading the news in order to be a well-informed person who does not fall victim to misinformation?
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