The Truth: How to Identify Fake News & Distinguish Fact from Opinion: Fact vs. Opinion
Carroll Community College Mission & Vision
Mission of Carroll Community College: "a vibrant, learner-centered community, . . . engages students as active learners, prepares them for an increasingly diverse and changing world, and encourages their lifelong learning."
Vision: . . . "embraces student learning as its primary and defining mission, encourages students to be full and active partners in learning, . . ."
Definitions below from: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, 2011
What is Information?
"Knowledge or facts learned, especially about a certain subject or event."
"The act of informing or the condition of being informed; communication of knowledge."
What is Knowledge?
"The state or fact of knowing."
"Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study."
"The sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned."
More on the Information Cycle
From the University of Washington Libraries
Traces media coverage of the Japanese tsunami over time to illustrate the information cycle
Websites
- News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2016Pew Research Center
- A Finder's Guide to Facts (How to Tell Fake News from Real News in the Post-Truth Era)From Steve Inskeep, a journalist at NPR
The Information Cycle
Created by the Digital Literacy Unit of the University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
How to Choose Your News (from TED Ed)
What is Truth? What is a Fact?
Fact is define as:
"Knowledge or information based on real occurences."
"Something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed."
What is Opinion?
"A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof."
"A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert."
"A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing."
- How to Identify Fact vs. Opinion in Writing & Research (video)"This video explains how the quality of your paper may change based on whether your use facts or opinions, and tips for detecting opinion or bias in writing."
What is Bias?
- Recognizing Bias (film clip)What is bias? Even information from reputable sources can be biased. Critical thinking is required to recognize bias. Defines the role of professional journalists. Includes interviews.
Additional Videos
- The Problem with Fake NewsTips on how to be a critical consumer of information
- Facts, Opinions Assumptions BiasesKnowledge evolves from all four
- How to Spot Fake NewsFrom FactCheck.org
- How to Tell the Difference Between Facts and OpinionsMometrix Academy
- TEDTalks Markham Nolan - How to Separate Fact and Fiction Online"Journalist Markham Nolan shares the investigative techniques he and his team use to verify information"
- Cognition: How Your Mind Can Amaze and Betray YouConfirmation bias
- Popular and Scholarly Sources: The Information CycleFrom Cal State U., San Bernardino
- The Information Life CycleFrom UNLV Libraries