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Disinformation and Fake News

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Photo to represent fake news
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

There's nothing new about the practice of spreading falsehoods in order to influence public opinion, make money, or cause dissension. However, with the advent of new technologies, it's now easier than ever before to circulate misinformation far and wide over social media and other online forums. This guide will help you find credible resources to learn about fake news and what you can do to avoid being fooled by misleading or downright false claims.

Advocacy Organizations

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Works to document and expose foreign state actors’ efforts to undermine democracy and democratic institutions around the world.

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Developing a set of indicators according to open standards and sharing the results of our distributed tests and validations.

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A joint initiative led by the Public Policy Forum and the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.

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Explores new forms of journalism, including fact-checking, which are empowering democracies and holding governments accountable.

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An American media watch group that has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986.

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A Vancouver-based non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting important neglected stories around the world.

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Empowers people to be more critical consumers of content online by teaching key digital literacy skills needed to spot misinformation and disinformation.

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Provides a platform for universities, institutions, and journalists to spread breaking news to their audiences. 

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An American watchdog that leads in-depth, award-winning investigations to understand why and how special interests and dark money are reshaping American politics and elections.

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An international consortium of news organizations collaborating to use transparency to build a more trustworthy and trusted press.

Fact Checking Sites

The following sites attempt to combat fake news, scams, and hoaxes by looking into specific claims that have been reported - in newspapers, on the TV, over social media, or by any other means - to determine whether or not the stated "fact" is actually true.

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Code of principles and list of fact checking organizations from around the world.

How to Spot Fake News

It's always a good idea to think critically about the information that comes our way, whether it be something that we read or see in the news or something we're told by a friend or colleague. Thinking critically doesn't have to be a massive undertaking, though - there are simple things that we can all do to detect potential fakery and avoid spreading it further. Use the resources below to learn tips and tricks for developing the right mindset to spot fake news.

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Some quick advice from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) on identifying potentially false or misleading information.

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Find out who is funding organizations in the news.

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An online curriculum providing free lessons and assessments to help teach students how to evaluate online information.

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A compilation of resources to help you detect disinformation when you see it. Includes lectures, podcasts, TED Talks, and more.

Technology Tools

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Search or browse recent fact checks from multiple sources at once.

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An extension that is available on most browsers that attempts to alert users to unreliable news sources.

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Web tools created by the Indiana University's Observatory on Social Media (OSoMe) team to help combat the spread of misinformation.

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Use Google's reverse image search function to find the actual source of a viral image.

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Use the Wayback Machine to see what a website used to look like.

Understanding Misinformation

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A handy guide with research findings and expert advice on how to successfully go about debunking misinformation. Uses climate change denial as an illustrative example, but works equally well with other types of misinformation.

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Research paper on how media viruses, bots, and computational propaganda have redefined how information is weaponized for propaganda campaigns.

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A policy paper showing how advertising technology has been used to launch viral fake news.

Canadian Independent Media

Independent media, crucial in combating fake news, upholds journalistic integrity by providing credible information untainted by vested interests, promoting transparency and trust in news dissemination.

Here are resources to help you find independent media organizations.

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A list of independent Canadian professional, digital-first news outlets. 

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Curated by Vancouver's Eric Hamber student-led newspaper and contains information for: National, BC, Metro Vancouver, and student media in Metro Vancouver (secondary and post secondary).

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A directory of independent media across Canada. Includes media in various formats: Websites, newsletters, magazines, podcasts, and other non-conventional formats. 

Digital Library Resources

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Newspapers and Magazines Subject Icon

Full-text access to over 500 BC and major Canadian daily newspapers. Some titles go back as far as the 1970s.

Access:
Everywhere for Vancouver residents
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Newspapers and Magazines Subject Icon

Full text access to over 1300 international newspapers, wire feeds, and more.

Access:
Everywhere for Vancouver residents
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Newspapers and Magazines Subject Icon

Online access to the New York Times. Includes both current news and archived articles.

Access:
Everywhere for VPL cardholders
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Newspapers and Magazines Subject Icon

Delivers full-page images of 5,000 newspapers and magazines from 100 countries before they appear on the newsstands. Includes titles such as The Vancouver Sun, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.

Access:
Everywhere for VPL cardholders