How to teach kids to spot fake news?
First: Teach everyone to spot fake news.
That means asking: Whatelsewould have to be true for this to be true?
The second question, says Rogow, is who benefits if this is true?
Who benefits if there really were a pedophile ring in a pizza parlor in Washington?
But, you say, isnt therealnews these days totally incredible?
Thats when you start educating your kids on reporting 101.
Check Sources
I wish every school had every student work on the newspaper, says Rogow.
Ask your kids, whats the different perspective?
There are a lot of ways to gently challenge people to think more broadly and deeply.
That means reporters have verified sources for themselves and arent just repeating what someone else wrote.
Oh, and teach your kids the words echo chamber.
Silva emphasizes that the standards that journalists aspire to arefairness and balance, fact-checking and verification.
An instructive story for this lesson?
The journalists were following their standards, and thats when [the sources] story began to fall apart.
Thats a cardinal rule: Minimize bias.
Journalists ask, what are the facts?
what can I verify?
They dont go into it with the facts already written, says Silva.
Journalism 101 would also include a primer onthe difference between the news and editorial sidesof an organization.
On Fox News, Sean Hannity is the opinion guy and Shepherd Smith is the journalist.
Kids should ask Am I looking at the news or at someones opinion?
The news side is sticking to the facts; opinion is more contentious.
One tip: If theres one person on the screen, its likely news.
Use Tools
Use fact-checking sites, says Rogow.
Kids can learn to cut and paste a headline into Snopes.
Get your news from news organizations, says Silva.
The extra layer of social media algorithms contributes to the strength of the filter bubble.
(Like the video ofTrump dumping a whole box of fish food into the koi pond.)
If you had watched the full video you would have gotten the full story, says Silva.
Teach kids to look for context.
Whos sharing it with you and why?
Political organizations, news sites, and entertainment sites all share in different ways.
News is not meant to sway your emotions, its meant to sway your intellect, says Silva.
Media thrives on drama; thats how outlets get clicks and shares.
The child was terrified, and his mother couldnt reason him out of his fear.
One source is a big warning sign, says Silva.
Talk about poor reporting, or reporting with bias (again, the OKeefe video is instructive).
Talk about why good journalists should wouldnt accept this level of reporting, says Rogow.
A good primer on propaganda for kids ishere.
How many kids understand the anti-Semitism thats behind attacks on George Soros?
Instill that little seed of doubt.
Keep the questioning going.
In fact, maybe theyll gently schoolussome day.
As Silva points out, Really, parents should have a self-reflective moment about theirownnews habits.
