Fake News: Separating Truth from Fiction

Named a 2020 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year

Interest Level: Grade 8 – Grade 12
Reading Level: Grade 8

Keep up with the latest fake news with the This Week in Fake News blog!

While popularized by President Donald Trump, the term “fake news” actually originated toward the end of the 19th century, in an era of rampant yellow journalism. Since then, it has come to encompass a broad universe of news stories and marketing strategies ranging from outright lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories to hoaxes, opinion pieces, and satire—all facilitated and manipulated by social media platforms. This title explores journalistic and fact-checking standards, Constitutional protections, and real-world case studies, helping readers identify the mechanics, perpetrators, motives, and psychology of fake news. A final chapter explores methods for assessing and avoiding the spread of fake news.

From the book cover:

FAKE NEWS. The term is all over the media, and it refers to two disturbing trends. First is the proliferation of websites containing partially and wholly fictitious stories—stories that are often shared millions of times through social media. The second trend is the attack on legitimate news media by powerful people—those who label stories that cast them in a negative light as “fake news.”

Fake news has far-reaching effects. For example, fake news on social media played a major role in influencing and misleading voters during the 2016 US presidential election. Fake news stories also promote false science, conspiracy theories, and racial hatred. Meanwhile, cries of “fake news” against legitimate news media undermine faith in honest and ethical journalism. Attacks on the legitimate news media threaten freedom of the press, one of the pillars of US democracy.

Information bombards us 24/7. It comes through the Internet, TV, radio, and printed publications. Some of it is truthful; some of it is flat-out false. Some of it is opinion, propaganda, and satire. News consumers need to know the difference. They need to be able to spot fake news and help stop its spread. Democracy depends on it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Fake News: It’s Real and It Matters
2. How Real News Works
3. The Many Faces of Fake News
4. Real Fakes
5. Who Believes Fake News, and Why?
6. How Harmful is Fake News?
7. Fake News and Free Speech
8. How to Tell Fake News from Real News
9. You Can Help Fight Fake News

REVIEWS

“[D]efines fake news, describes its insidious power, and provides relevant and accessible examples.”—Booklist

“A much-needed book for today’s youth.”—School Library Journal

“[T]imely and important. A must-have for libraries serving teens.”—Kirkus Reviews

• Saved in: Young Adult Nonfiction
• Tagged: Book, Library, Nonfiction, Teens, Young Adult