Fake News

Read the following two long form magazine articles and the newspaper article:

• How America Lost its Mind (*Yes, I love The Atlantic*)
• Inside the Two Years That Shook Facebook—and the World
• The Age of Post-Truth Politics

Answer the following questions:

• What is fake news? If you don’t know, go look it up.
• What is your immediate reaction to these articles? What stood out to you?
• Do you agree/disagree with “America losing its mind?”
• Do you think the term “fake news” is accurate? Why or why not. What word would you use in its place?
• Should Facebook or other sites be held to a journalistic standard? What standard do you think that should be? Should people be held to a standard?
• Discuss what is going on with Facebook in the WIRED article.
• Should truth be up for debate?

Conspiracies

• Prompt: Everyone should be allowed to have a voice on the internet.
• Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why do you agree or disagree? Give one (or more) positive example of how voices on the internet have helped. Think of at least one negative example?
• Then read these articles & videos, then go back to what you wrote and further expand on your answer.
  • Seen ‘Plandemic’? We Take A Close Look At The Viral Conspiracy Video’s Claims
  • A psychologist explains why people cling to conspiracy theories during uncertainty and after traumatic events
  • The Coronavirus Conspiracy Boom

Online

SULLIVAN/MAZA

Newspapers

Magazines

Shadowland

Television

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Jim Cramer – March 2009

The Colbert Report

Last Week Tonight

All The President’s Men

Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire (2006)