The 2018 MLA
conference hosted a variety of presentations that provided valuable information
and practical applications for public librarians.
One session that was a
highlight for me was Fake News in a
Fact-Averse World. This thought
provoking class, presented by Andrea Rice from Queen Anne’s County Library argued
that librarians are on the front lines in terms of informing their patrons
about what she called “media literacy.” She
mentioned a startling statistic that in one poll 64% of the respondents were
confused as to what constitutes accurate news.
Ms. Rice also
discussed how the ability to fact check can also be seen as a generational
phenomenon – with Gen Xers better
equipped to verify information sources than Millennials
and Baby Boomers.
She provided a number
of resources for information professionals to assist in helping to verify
sources. Some of her preferred tools included:
Allsides,
Media Matters, Fact Check, Open Secrets, Politifact, & The Sunlight Foundation. Ms. Rice also proposed a technique called
“triangulation,” or the use of two additional sources to help in verifying a
piece of information.
Ms. Rice also
discussed the concept known as “click bait,” where sensational stories are
fabricated simply because they attract a lot of attention and therefore are
popular with advertisers.
She pointed out that
the term “fake news” is frequently used by people as a tactic to dismiss something
that they are inclined not to agree with in the first place. “Confirmation Bias” is the notion that we
tend to stick to our pre conceived beliefs when it comes to trusting a news
source. This is why Ms. Rice embraces
what she calls “media literacy” as a more methodological approach for
information professionals (and the public) to help determine the validity of
news items – and tell the difference between fact and fabrication.
Greg FrommeHerring Run Branch
