Library and Information Science Commons^™

The Impact And Management Of Mis/Disinformation At University Libraries In Australia, Nicole Johnston

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mis/disinformation has in recent political and health climates become increasingly spread through social media and the internet, drawing increased discussion on the role libraries play in countering and combating the spread of mis/disinformation. This study investigated the impact and management of mis/disinformation at university libraries in Australia through a survey of 88 library staff and interviews with 17 managers. Library staff believe they have a role in teaching skills such as critical thinking and evaluation, advocating in this space and maintaining credible, balanced and inclusive collections. Although combating mis/disinformation is a strategic priority for libraries, it is often not a …

Recreational Nastiness Or Playful Mischief? Contrasting Perspectives On Internet Trolling Between News Media And Avid Internet Users, Yimin Chen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The term “internet trolling” has come to encompass a wide range of disparate behaviours: ranging from abusive speech and computer hacking to sarcastic humour and friendly teasing. While some of these behaviours are clearly antisocial and, in extreme cases, criminal, others are harmless and can even be prosocial. Previous studies have shown that self-identified internet trollers tend to credit internet trolling’s poor reputation to misunderstanding and overreaction from people unfamiliar with internet culture and humour, whereas critics of trolling have argued that the term has been used to downplay and gloss over problematic transgressive behaviour. As the internet has come …

Measuring Fake News Acumen Using A News Media Literacy Instrument, Tyler W. S. Nagel

Journal of Media Literacy Education

News media literacy education is gaining increased attention in the age of fake news and post-truth America. However, as with any pedagogical goal, it is important to be able to evaluate the success of the delivery. In a survey built on existing news literacy frameworks, 1476 students at a large Canadian polytechnic answered questions about their own news literacy, fake news acumen, and news consumption habits. Analysis of the data suggests that conscientious fake-news attitudes and behaviors are correlated with an existing news media literacy scale, providing a method of evaluating the success of fake news education efforts.

Diy Disinformation: Using Fake Crafting Videos To Combat Fake News, Elizabeth M. Downey

University Libraries Publications and Scholarship

When Ann Reardon started her YouTube channel How to Cook That, she likely didn’t expect to spend a bulk of her time debunking so-called “cooking hack” videos. Amateur bakers and other viewers would ask her why the so-called easy recipes from channels like So Yummy didn’t work for them. As a service. she would demonstrate the so-called “shortcuts,” explain why they didn’t work, and then show how to execute a similar recipe the right way. With her willing husband serving as the unfortunate taste-tester, the videos gained popularity followed by requests for similar content, expanding to crafting and other “lifehack” …

Media And Information Literacy And Academic Libraries, Philip Russell

Conference Papers

Media and information literacy and Libraries: on the frontline of the battle against misinformation which explored how library staff in various sectors are combatting the growth of misinformation.

Be Media Smart: A Collaborative Media Literacy Initiative For Ireland, Philip Russell

Conference Papers

This paper presents Ireland’s public awareness campaign – ‘Be Media Smart’- which was launched in Spring 2019 to combat misinformation and fake news and encourage people of all ages to stop, think, and check that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is reliable. Be Media Smart is an initiative of Media Literacy Ireland (MLI), an independent group facilitated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to enhance Irish people’s understanding of, and engagement with, media. Group members include large media and social media companies, Government bodies, libraries, academia and voluntary sector organisations.

The paper will provide …

Fake News Or Is It?, Liz Kielley

Library Staff Presentations & Publications

How can you tell if something is credible or fake news? Reliable information helps us make good decisions but with the proliferation of social media, sometimes it is hard to tell if we should believe it or delete it. We tend to want to believe those things that align with our world view, but is it true just because we want it to be? What is opinion and what is fact? Let’s sharpen our critical thinking skills and discover some tools that we can use to help us figure it out. We will learn what drives fake news, how to …

A Content Analysis Of Social Media Users’ Reaction To Religious Disinformation In Bangladesh, Md. Sayeed Al-Zaman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study seeks to explore social media users’ reactions to religious disinformation in Bangladesh. Public comments were collected from the relevant Facebook posts related to an online religious disinformation that took place in April 2019 and analyzed following a qualitative content analysis method. The three key findings of this research are: (a) Social media users react to disinformation more emotionally than reasonably; (b) more users show diverse forms of destructive reactions when they encounter disinformation; and (c) although more users have strong reasoning skills, only a few users show constructive reactions after encountering disinformation. These results indicate the presence …

The Covid-19 Misinformation Challenge: An Asynchronous Approach To Information Literacy, Jennifer Bonnet, Senta Sellers

Library Staff Publications

The coronavirus pandemic introduced a "new normal" to the everyday lives of people the world over, including an evolving understanding of the virus’s spread and long-term impact. With each new development, misinformation about COVID-19 proliferated, sowing confusion and uncertainty about everything from causes to cures. In response, two librarians designed The COVID-19 Misinformation Challenge, a weeklong program aimed at discerning coronavirus fact from fiction on social media, in the news, and in academic publishing. Based on the number of program participants and their overwhelmingly positive feedback, the Challenge proved to be popular, fun, and educational.

Fact-Checking Viral Trends For News Writers, Elizabeth M. Downey

University Libraries Publications and Scholarship

Social media is a constant in day-to-day life and is often the first place news breaks. However, the likelihood of false information being spread across social media is high, and this can affect journalists trying to do their jobs, in both gathering information and trying to achieve balance. Reporters and news writers need to be able to quickly evaluate the legitimacy of social media sources for information, especially viral posts, lest they be accused of spreading “fake news.” This chapter examines how social media has disrupted traditional news reporting and caused media outlets to tackle the audience’s opinion of them …

News Literacy Skills Among Undergraduate Law Students In The Age Of Infodemic, Jibran Jamsheed Mr., Salman Bin Naeem Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the news literacy skills of law students, their ability to encounter fake news, as well as their news sharing behavior.

Research Methodology: A survey was conducted in two public sector universities of South Punjab i.e. The Islamia University of Bahawalpur and the Bahauddin Zakariya University of Multan. The population of the study comprised of undergraduate law students of the participating universities. The three-part questionnaire was used to collect the data on demographic information, perceived news literacy skills, and news sharing behavior. The collected data were analyzed using a statistical …

Social Media, Propaganda, & Public Opinion, Central Washington University, David Schwan

Brooks Library Events

Poster for a Virtual Webinar that explores the harms of disinformation and discusses manipulative algorithms, fake news, dehumanizing language in the media, and how to combat these harms.

Stop, Think, Check: Ireland's Be Media Smart Campaign, Philip Russell

Articles

‘Be Media Smart’ is an Irish public awareness campaign calling on people of all ages to ‘Be Media Smart’ and ‘Stop, Think, and Check’ that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is accurate and reliable. This national media literacy campaign was aimed at enhancing people’s understanding of, and engagement with, media, while also empowering them with the skills to evaluate content across all platforms.

Academic Library Guides For Tackling Fake News: A Content Analysis, Sook Lim

Library & Information Science Faculty Scholarship

Built on a pilot study, this study examined how librarians understand fake news and the specific methods or strategies they suggest for detecting fake news by analyzing their guidelines from academic libraries. A content analysis regarding a total of 21 institutional guidelines was conducted. The major findings include the following: 1) in the librarians’ guidelines stating their definition of fake news, the two elements of falsity and the intention to mislead were explicitly stated. The other element of bias, however, was presented in only some guidelines. 2) The sub-elements of clickbait, a decontextualized content and omitted information were inconsistently or …

Book Review: Fake News And Alternative Facts: Information Literacy In A Post-Truth Era By Nicole A. Cooke, Anna Morrissey

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Student Research Journal, Volume 10, Issue 1, Student Reseach Journal

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Fogler Library Covid-19 Misinformation Challenge Post, Jen Bonnet, Senta Sellers

Raymond H. Fogler Library

Social media post promoting Fogler Library's COVID-19 Misinformation Challenge, aimed at helping participants discern fact from fiction in popular media. At the time of the content's submission to the University of Maine COVID-19 Community Archive, approximately 483 people had signed up from across the United States, and even from international locations.

Misinformation And Malarkey: Strategies For Understanding What You're Reading, Central Washington University

Brooks Library Events

This workshop will unpack issues around misinformation, deep fakes, and other sources. Participants will leave with strategies and resources for knowing what’s news, and what’s not.

Sink Or Swim? A Case-Study Approach To Teaching Information Evaluation, Katie Strand, Rachel Wishkoski

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper is part of the LOEX 2019 conference proceedings and reports on an engaging information evaluation lesson designed by a team of librarians at Utah State University. Teaching evaluation skills in the highly emotional world of fake news is a daunting task. The lesson described here uses realistic case studies to give students the critical distance necessary to practice evaluation before diving into their personal research and biases. The article outlines the lesson’s case study activity and rationale in teaching students adaptable evaluation skills that they can apply in their academic, professional, and personal lives.

Be Media Smart: A National Media Literacy Campaign For Ireland, Philip Russell

Articles

‘Be Media Smart’ is an Irish public awareness campaign calling on people of all ages to ‘Be Media Smart’ and ‘Stop, Think, and Check’ that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is accurate and reliable. This national media literacy campaign was aimed at enhancing people’s understanding of, and engagement with, media, while also empowering them with the skills to evaluate content across all platforms.

News Literacy And Fake News Curriculum: School Librarians’ Perceptions Of Pedagogical Practices, Lesley Farmer

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The high profile of fake news reveals underlying trends in the production and consumption of news. While news literacy is a lifelong skill, the logical time to start teaching such literacy is in K-12 educational settings, so that all people have the opportunity to learn and practice news literacy. School librarians can play a critical role in helping students gain news literacy competence. This study investigated the needs for K-12 students to be news literate and their current level of skills as perceived by in-service teachers and school librarians in California. Respondents thought that their students were most competent at …

Media Literacy Ireland And The Be Media Smart Campaign, Philip Russell

Articles

‘Be Media Smart’ is an Irish public awareness campaign calling on people of all ages to ‘Be Media Smart’ and ‘Stop, Think, and Check’ that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is accurate and reliable. This national media literacy campaign was aimed at enhancing people’s understanding of, and engagement with, media, while also empowering them with the skills to evaluate content across all platforms.

Be Media Smart: A National Media Literacy Campaign For Ireland. Invited Speaker, Unesco Global Media And Information Literacy Feature Conference, Philip Russell

Conference Papers

‘Be Media Smart’ is an Irish public awareness campaign calling on people of all ages to ‘Be Media Smart’ and ‘Stop, Think, and Check’ that information they see, read or hear across any media platform is accurate and reliable. This national media literacy campaign was aimed at enhancing people’s understanding of, and engagement with, media, while also empowering them with the skills to evaluate content across all platforms.

Fake News, Post-Truth & Information Literacy, Carol A. Watson, Caroline Osborne, Kristina L. Niedringhaus

Caroline L. Osborne

What is fake news? How did it arise? Why does recognizing fake news matter? How do we create information literate consumers in the legal community? This program will discuss the intersection of fake news and information literacy theory. We’ll provide an overview of the rise and proliferation of fake news including highlights of historical instances; a discussion of the impact of failing to detect fake news; and strategies for creating successful information literacy programming.

Assessing Library Science Programme Students’ Method In Countering Hoax On Social Media, Margareta Aulia Rachman Mar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This research aims to assess library science students’ method at Universitas Indonesia in countering hoax on social media. As future professional librarians, Universitas Indonesia Library Science Programme students should have the ability and skill to counter hoax, especially on social media. In addition, this research is the best practice illustrating the importance of information literacy teaching especially in the era where a lot of hoax circulating on social media. Result of this research shows that Universitas Indonesia Library Science students as many as 61.2% apply instruction or tips to tackle hoax on social media, the rest 37.9% students sometimes apply …

“Fake News,” Misinformation, And Political Bias: Teaching News Literacy In The 21st Century, Jennifer Bonnet, Judith Rosenbaum

Library Staff Publications

In an era where claims of “fake news” abound and more people turn to social media for their daily updates, knowing how to find and critically appraise information is more important than ever. The workshop discussed in this article aims to provide college students with the news literacy needed to make educated decisions about the information they find online.

Initiatives To Counter Fake News In Selected Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Russia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Peter Roudik, Graciela Rodriguez-Ferrand, Edouardo Soares, Tariq Ahmad, Laney Zhang, George Sadek, Nicolas Boring, Jenny Gesley, Ruth Levush, Sayuri Umeda, Hanibal Goitom, Kelly Buchanan, Norma C. Gutiérrez, Astghik Grigoryan, Elin Hofverberg, Clare Feikert-Ahalt

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

Comparative Summary by Peter Roudik, Director of Legal Research

This report examines the legal approaches of fifteen countries, representing all regions of the world, to the emerging problem of manipulation with “fake news” using mass and social media, especially the impact of fake news on ongoing political processes and elections, and the legislative measures undertaken to counteract the dissemination of false information. Fake news as a phenomenon is not new and has been known since ancient times, but the present-day proliferation of digital and social media platforms, which allow for much broader distribution of information to a global audience, makes …

The Sociological And Humanistic Problem Of ‘Fake News,’ As It Applies To All Subjects, Including Scientific Research And Theories In The Public Sphere, Andrée Rathemacher, Amanda Izenstark

Technical Services Faculty Presentations

The main file available here contains the notes taken by student note-taker Kaleigh Miech during the Café Salon Discussion “The Sociological and Humanistic Problem of ‘Fake News,’ As It Applies to All Subjects, Including Scientific Research and Theories in the Public Sphere.” The discussion took place on January 17, 2019 as part of the University of Rhode Island 11th Annual Academic Summit. It was facilitated by Profs. Andrée Rathemacher and Amanda Izenstark.

Supplemental files include:

• An opening introduction prepared by the facilitators
• The official 11th Annual Academic Summit Program
• Café Salon Facilitator Guide

Libraries And Fake News: What’S The Problem? What’S The Plan?, Matthew C. Sullivan

Communications in Information Literacy

This article surveys the library and information science (LIS) response to the problems of fake news and misinformation from the 2016 U.S. presidential election to the end of 2018, focusing on how librarians and other information professionals in the United States have articulated the problems and the paths forward for combating them. Additionally, the article attempts to locate the LIS response in a larger interdisciplinary misinformation research program, provide commentary on the response in view of that research program, and lay out both a possible research agenda for the field and practical next steps for educators ahead of the 2020 …

Comparing Features Of Fabricated And Legitimate Political News In Digital Environments (2016-2017), Victoria Rubin, Toluwase Victor Asubiaro

FIMS Presentations

With the problem of ‘fake news’ in the digital media, there are efforts at creation of awareness, automation of ‘fake news’ detection and news literacy. This research is descriptive as it pulls evidence from the content of online fabricated news for the features that distinguish fabrications from the legitimate political news around the time of the U.S. Presidential Elections (276 articles in total, from November 2016 - June 2017). Certain stylistic and psycho-linguistic features of fabrications may be apparent to the news readers: fewer words and paragraphs but longer paragraphs, more slangs, swear words and affective words in the stories. …