Addressing issues involved in fake news
According to a study in a Pew Research Center report released recently, 88 percent of U.S. adults say they believe fake news is causing either a “great deal of confusion” or at least “some confusion” when it comes to people’s understanding of current events.
Categorically false lies-posing-as-breaking-news-stories often start as reportorial problems. Scholastic journalists can begin to address this issue by addressing the following problems:
- Lack of credibility (sources, information and author)
- Insufficient crap detection skills/no training in truth seeking
- Absence of identified sources
- Incomplete information
- Unclear or unknown author intent (as in satire/low harm fake news)
- Lack of context and explanation (of information and meaning of terms/concepts)
- Confirmation bias/filter bubbles/discrediting of mainstream media
- Inability to recognize native advertising
The Pew report also showed:
• 23 percent of Americans say they shared fake news at some point
• 14 percent reported they shared a story knowing it was false
• 45 percent said they were somewhat confident they could identify (39 percent said very confident) completely made up articles
Based on exercises I did with journalism students, and on a a recent national study, we think they might be overconfident.
Each year I would present journalism students with fake story assignments to see if they would think critically through story information. Students did not catch the questionable information, even though they had obvious opportunities to ask questions that would show the assignment’s flaws – and had been told at the beginning of the year we would do an assignment like this.
For example, the students interviewed the principal and assistant principal about the introduction of drug-sniffing ferrets that would go through student lockers at night because of recent evidence of increased drug use in school.
Ferrets, of course, could work through lockers more easily than dogs.
Administrators gave students detailed information about the need for such searches and how the ferrets would operate. They also shared information about a training center for ferrets in a nearby community and studies that showed why ferrets were better than dogs. They included a phone number so students could follow up with trainers. They shared the name of the police department contact.
The story, of course, was completely fake.
The phone number did not work. No such study existed and the local police contact had no knowledge of such a switch from drug-sniffing dogs to ferrets.
Fake news is not new. What is new is its ability to subvert the critical thinking abilities of even more people, especially students, because of the internet and social media, as a recent study showed.
“Overall, young people’s ability to reason about the information on the Internet can be summed up in one word: ‘bleak,'” the study reported.
From middle school to college students, the study’s authors reported, “we were taken aback by students’ lack of preparation.”
And these findings might not reflect the real problem in schools where censored media produce fake news.
The Pew report also asked who its study respondents think should be responsible for stopping fake news. Briefly, respondents listed the public, the government and elected officials, search engines and social media bear responsibility.
Solutions should start in journalism classrooms.
Call it news literacy, crap detection or just critical thinking skills, solutions lie with those students who either produce, evaluate or consume information. They then, as adults, might not make mistakes similar to those see in the Pew study.
We have no magic promise of internet filters to quickly tell us what is true and what is to be avoided. Those filters have not worked and may have contributed to the problems.
What we do have is a journalism foundation of news values and ethical guidelines.
And that is the subject of the next look at fake news.
Resources:
• Ten questions for fake news
• Skills and strategies: Fake news v real news: determining the reliability of sources
• Truth, truthiness, triangulation: A news literacy toolkit for a “post truth” world
• To fix fake news, look yellow journalism
• Fake news? Bias? How colleges teach students not to be duped
• Flawed news is not fake news
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Worthy of your attention
The following links could be sparks for coverage by student media, newsvalues for class discussion in your communities and/or journalism lessons.
Check out this Society of Professional Journalists’ resolutions:
• In support of enhanced protections for student journalists
• First Amendment Press Freedom Award deadline for school recognition coming up Dec. 1. This is Round 1 qualification to be eligible for Round 2.
• Southern Poverty Law Center requests reports of hate speech or actions aimed at racial harassment. The SPLC also says to first report these to local law enforcement.
• SPJ 2017 school essay contest on “Why is it important for a democratic society to have women involved in professional media and legal roles? What can be done to reverse the dearth of females in these professions?”
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Determine content ownership ahead of time: FSW
Recent discussions on the Journalism Education Association listserv focused on who owns the copyright of content produced for student media
This group of links and other material should offer informed choices to advisers and students
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Who owns the copyright to work created by a student journalist? It’s a fascinating, important — and potentially complicated question. It’s also one that can and should be addressed early on by every student media staff. Check the link for more.
Scenario: Student journalists have just completed their first converged media assignments and are just about ready for publication across the various platforms. Several indicate they think their work is good enough to share with other groups.Can they legally or ethically do that with repercussion?
The question of who owns the copyright of work created for scholastic media is complex, but at some point, advisers need to answer that question. The sooner that is decided, the better for all. 
One thing for certain, Mark Goodman, former executive director of the Student Press Law Center and current Knight Chair in Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University, said it is almost impossible for a school to claim copyright in the works students create. Check the link for more.
Copyright law can be both the friend and foe of the student media. While the law protects student journalists against the unauthorized use of their stories, drawings or photographs, it also limits their ability to reproduce the works of others. The following guide, which explains the basics of copyright law, should provide student journalists with most of what they need to know to both safeguard and exercise their rights. Check the link for more.
Scroll down to get to ownership section
In an email to JEA’s listserv, Student Press Law Center executive director Frank Limonite stressed several points:
• Copyright law is simple. It starts with the proposition that the person who creates a piece owns it. Only two legally recognized ways to lose that – sign it over or receive a salary in exchange for it.
• There is a “persistent myth” that using the school’s equipment transforms your work into the school’s property. It’s like a school telling a parent to return a picture the child took home that was made with school crayons.
• “What the school has (in the eyes of the law) is a ‘license’ to use the work that is submitted for the publication — and once incorporated into the publication, it then becomes a part of a collective work, over which the individual contributors no longer have exclusive ownership. So the school is free to republish the work in ways that are a direct extension of the original — for instance, re-using a sports photo in a ‘year in review’ of the best touchdown catches of the season — within the terms of that ‘implied license.’ But what the school does not have is ownership.
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In plain view from public places: Photojournalists and free speech
What can and cannot be photographed continues to fall under question, bringing attention to photojournalists and igniting important First Amendment conversations. As part of other Free Speech Week lessons and activities, teachers may use this opportunity to incorporate key readings and discussion geared toward visual storytellers.
For starters, journalism students paying attention to current events likely caught last week’s story of documentarian Deia Schlosberg arrested while filming an oil pipeline protest in North Dakota. If needed, teachers can engage students in a quick research activity to update each other. Key questions: What’s the story? How does this relate to the First Amendment? How does a photojournalist’s role compare to that of a documentarian?
Photojournalists use the phrase “in plain view from public spaces” to describe in broad terms their interpretation of access and privacy as related to their First Amendment rights. What does this mean? Teachers can consider this as a warm-up writing prompt or partner conversation between students before sharing as a larger group.
To read more about photojournalists and the First Amendment, teachers can assign small groups to read and report on any of these articles:
NYT Lens blog: Criminalizing photography
University of Missouri protest “muscle” incident
Pennsylvania student shooting routine traffic stop
First Amendment Center: Photographs as speech
ACLU: What to do if you’re detained
Police, cameras and the Constitution
To tie in a media literacy component, teachers may add “Photography and the Law: Know Your Rights” from Photojojo. How is this article more or less credible? How does the material compare to the other articles under discussion? What factor(s) affected your analysis?
It’s likely that most journalism classes already discussed this photo from Aleppo and a related article back in August, but the connection here is strong between the power of a photo and why the world depends on photojournalists to capture what audiences need to see, regardless of how terrifying, depressing or controversial those images may be.
The National Press Photographers Association offers this statement about its advocacy work protecting photojournalists’ rights.
After reading related articles and discussing efforts underway to protect those constitutional freedoms, teachers may want to present powerful storytelling images that may spark debate about free speech and/or the ethical considerations photojournalists face. One option is to assign students to find and share photos on their own.
Here is a simple list of possible photos and/or photographers to research and discuss:
- Yannis Behrakis, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography, on the refugee crisis in Greece
- “General Nguyen Ngoc Loan Executing a Viet Cong Prisoner in Saigon” by Eddie Adams in 1968
- Pulitzer Prize-winning photos taken by photojournalist Paul Watson of a dead American soldier being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu
- Image galleries showing treatment of Iraq prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison complex
- “The vulture and the little girl” by South African photojournalist Kevin Carter in 1993
- “The Falling Man” by Richard Drew during 9/11 attacks
- “Fire on Marlborough Street” or “Fire escape collapse” by Stanley Forman
- “The Burning Monk” by Malcolm Browne
From celebrating Free Speech Week and First Amendment protection of what photojournalists can do legally to the ongoing considerations of what they should do ethically, the topic is one worth exploring on a regular basis.
by Sarah Nichols, MJE
Read MoreShowcase principles of Constitution Day,
apply for this year’s FAPFA Awards
Constitution Day focused student journalists on power of free expression for scholastic media.
Your students can continue to recognize the importance of First Amendment practices and policies – and be recognized for it – by applying for this year’s FAPFA award.
This First Amendment Press Freedom Award recognizes high schools that actively support, teach and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities of students and teachers. The recognition focuses on student-run media where students make all final decisions of content without prior review.
Roughly, here’s a sample of what the judging committee looks for in determining FAPFA recipients:
- No prior review or restraint by school faculty for all student media.
- Student staffers make all final decisions of content for all student media.
- Establish policies at all student media and school system levels or both as public forums for student expression.
- Remove Internet filters for student journalism use
- Students, advisers and administrators agree on First Amendment practices, philosophy and application across platforms.
As in previous years, schools compete for the title by first answering questionnaires submitted by an adviser and at least one editor. Those who advance to the next level will be asked to provide responses from the principal and all media advisers and student editors, indicating their support of the First Amendment. In addition, semifinalists submitted samples of their school and media online or printed policies that show student media applying their freedoms.
Schools recognized as meeting FAPFA criteria will be honored at the opening ceremony of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
First round applications are due annually by Dec. 1. Downloadable applications for 2017 will be available on the JEA website in the fall.
Save this link and apply now. Even if your school received the recognition, you must re-apply yearly.
Meet the challenges raised by Constitution Day. Apply to be a FAPFA-recognized school.
This is the 17th year for the award.
Read MoreThe importance of student free expression
and widespread information on legislation
As journalism teachers, we know our students learn more when they make publication choices. Prior review or restraint does not teach students to produce higher quality journalism.
As journalism teachers, we know the only way to teach students to take responsibility for their decisions is to give them the responsibility to make those decisions freely.
As journalism teachers we also know democracy depends on student understanding all voices have a right to be heard, knowing they have a voice in their school and community and keeping both informed.
[pullquote]As journalism teachers, we know the only way to teach students to take responsibility for their decisions is to give them the responsibility to make those decisions freely.[/pullquote]
“America needs ‘informed communities,’ places where the information ecology meets people’s personal and civic information needs,” reported a 2009 Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, “They need information to participate fully in our system of self-government, to stand up and be heard. Driving this vision are the critical democratic values of openness, inclusion, participation, empowerment, and the common pursuit of truth and the public interest,” the Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age report indicated.
Recent passage of New Voices legislation in Illinois and Maryland and steps to pass similar bills in numerous states point to the importance of student free expression. Attempts also point to a need for students to engage their communities so all know about the importance of such legislation.
[pullquote]Whether advisers and students live in a state where legislation has passed or in a state where legislation is an active project, the accompanying materials can be used to strengthen the understanding of legislation, deepen the resolve for passage or reinforce communities’ understanding and thus support for student free expression.[/pullquote]
Whether advisers and students live in a state where legislation has passed or in a state where legislation is an active project, they can use the materials in this package to strengthen the understanding of legislation, deepen the resolve for passage or reinforce communities’ understanding and thus support for student free expression.
Sometimes, despite legislation and all the best intentions, censorship and other limitations of guaranteed rights occurs. The accompanying resources are also designed to help student journalists, their advisers and administrators provide answers about the importance and benefits of student freedom expression.
Resources can help provide additional background on student free expression and approaches to information your communities need to know about the importance of such freedom, including passage of free expression legislation.
- Contents of this package:
- Importance of state legislation: Although many educators and advocates think of the First Amendment (and the court decisions interpreting it) as the most important tool for interpreting student press rights, there is another equally important source of law: state statutes.
- Why protecting student free expression is important: Students and advisers in states with recent freedom of expression legislation may want to inform their communities of educational rationale for the legislation. Additionally, those states working to pass such legislation might want to use the same points to gain support
- Talking Points: With legislation giving students decision-making power over their student media comes questions about roles, purpose and standards. If the school cannot make content decisions who is responsible? What is the role of the adviser? Of students? If the adviser cannot control content, what guidelines will students follow and why?
- Breakdown of Illinois HB5902: Showing what the bill’s language means.
- Tips for engaging communities: With new legislation, or attempts to pass it, comes the need for ways to engage those who would support it. The ways can run from concept to concrete and can be delivered in many approaches with details determined locally.
- Legislation terminology: A compilation of important terminology so everyone can better understand the language and issues surrounding student free expression language.
- What to do if school officials threaten censorship: Even though state legislation can provide protection, sometimes others do not understand that and need further education. Use a friendly and informative approach and help them understand. Here are some steps we recommend.
- Sample press release on state legislation: Another option for letting your various communities know about the benefits of free expression legislation is to create a press release to media, civic groups, school board and others.
- Resources on state legislation: Links to additional information and contacts.
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