FactCheck.org
FactCheck is like Snopes, but it is
hyperfocused on political issues. The
site covers topics such as the election,
the FDA, Congress, proposed bills, and
laws. This site is perfect for digging into
the things you hear on TV or read online.
FactCheck typically lays out the infor-
mation in bulleted, easy to digest seg-
ments with links to where the data was
gleaned from. There are several similar
political fact-checking sites on the Inter-
net, such as PolitiFact.com and FullFact.
org (UK based). I prefer FactCheck.org
for its clean look and feel, coupled with
the unbiased way in which the informa-
tion is presented.
Newsguard
Sites like the ones mentioned above
are fantastic when you’re highly skeptical
about something you’ve seen or heard on-
line. The problem is that some false infor-
mation is presented in such a believable
way that you may not even consider the
possibility that it is actually fake news.
Newsguard is an extension or plugin
for your favorite web browser designed
to help you spot misleading information.
After you install the free software, you
will see green, yellow, or red icons next
to news-related links on search engines
and social media. The rating icons pro-
vide you with a rating based on the cred-
ibility and transparency of the site.
Newsguard states the “ratings sig-
nal if a website follows basic journalistic
standards or instead has a hidden agenda
or knowingly publishes falsehoods or
propaganda.” This handy feature resides
inside your browser, so it doesn’t slow
your computer down. The icons stand
out, making it easy to see which sites are
trustworthy and which websites should
be skipped altogether.
Newsguard works on thousands of
online media outlets. Sites that are not
considered a news outlet may not re-
ceive a rating. You can use FactMata.
com to check any link on the Internet for
general integrity.
Kids Need Help Too
The adults I spoke with about this
topic stated that children were much
more adept at spotting fake news be-
cause they have grown up using technol-
ogy. This assumption could not be fur-
ther from the truth. Students are one of
the worst groups at detecting fake news.
Recent studies have shown that
Middle and High School students strug-
gled to distinguish the difference be-
tween real news stories and paid, spon-
sor branded content.
Google is attempting to educate stu-
dents with their “Be Internet Awesome”
curriculum. The website is intended for
children ages eight to twelve. Be Internet
Awesome teaches students topics such as
cyberbullying, spotting misinformation,
and personal privacy using a game-based
approach. Schools all over the world have
begun using this free resource as one way
to teach students better habits online.
You can have your children play for
free by searching for “Be Internet Awe-
some” in any web browser. Older students
can visit the News Literacy Project at
Newslit.org for content that is better suited
for young adults. NewsLit teaches students
how to look for slant in stories, identify
misinformation, and question the source
behind the information they are reading.
Teachers will continue to address this
concern in class, but parents should con-
sider having similar conversations at home.
In Conclusion
Fake news is not going away any
time soon. There are organizations cre-
ating tools that use machine learning
and artificial intelligence to scrub the
Internet clean of fake news. Opposite
of that, other companies are using that
same technology to create content that
looks all too real. Google “deepfake vid-
eos” to see an example of what this tech-
nology can do. There is no end in sight.
The best way parents can address this
is to be aware of misinformation, use
trusted sources, and teach children to do
the same thing. The website and tools
above can help start the conversation.
Mike Daugherty is a husband, father of
three young children, author, speaker,
Google Innovator, and possible Star-
bucks addict. He is a certified educa-
tional technology leader who has served
in a variety of roles through his eigh-
teen-year career in public education.
Currently, Mike is the Director of Tech-
nology for the Chagrin Falls Exempted
Village School district in Northeast
Ohio. As an IT director he has developed
creative, well thought out solutions that
positively impact teaching and learning.
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