Fake News?

There is a lot of chatter in social media, news outlets, and even presidential addresses about "Fake News," but what exactly is it? Is this the satire we commonly see on sites like The Onion? Or is this different? What is the difference between fake news and satire? These are some of the questions we are going to be discussing this month. Current events often provide context and examples for English Composition :) In this case, since we are beginning our research, we need to learn a little discernment. You can google "Is Soy Healthy?" and receive several thousand hits arguing either side. Who's right? This is where research skills are coming into play. When we have to sort out someone's blog from peer-reviewed research, information can feel overwhelming. This is why we need to be selective of the sources we choose for research. Information is a commodity. This means folks make money (usually) by distributing it. We need to be wise consumers.

Here's a video C-SPAN put out on fake news. Do you agree with this? What are some problems with the research? What are some really good or logical points? Can you see ethos, pathos, and logos in use here?

Fake News Video  (this is only about four minutes long, so fix something to drink and relax and learn)

We will be discussing one of the first and most interesting sources of fake news this week in class, demonstrating how harmful misinformation can be. How much responsibility does journalism have when producing news? How much responsibility does the consumer have? Some questions to think about this week...