1) What sources of news do you usually trust? What sources do you rarely trust? Why?
I usually trust news that can be obtained through databases. For example, the CSI library
database allows us to access the New York Times, which is edited and verified prior to
publication. Another newspaper that I often read is the Washington Post, which my family has a
subscription to. Obtaining news from reliable sources, such as via databases, ensures that the
information provided is both accurate and informative. Sources that I do not trust are posts on
social media. For example, it is easy for someone to read an article and then summarize it on
their Facebook wall or Instagram story. However, this information is now reworded and can
incorporate some biases from the person who rewrote it. I also do not trust news obtained from
Google, because anyone can publish writing on the Internet without it being verified first.
2) How do you check to make sure what you are sharing or commenting on is real when using
FaceBook, Instagram, or any other social media tool?
One way that we can make sure that what we are sharing or commenting on is real is by doing
a reverse image search in Google images. This will verify the original source of the image and
see if the photo has been used in different places. It is common for old images to be reused and
portrayed falsely in order to spread fake news. Another way to see if information is true is by
seeing if it is being shown in major news sources. If the information is not covered in major news
sources, then it is most likely fake. There are even websites, such as Snopes.com, that sort
through the fake news that is widely spread on social media. They even prove these stories
wrong to prevent people from believing this false information. Facebook posts can even have a
“disputed” symbol to indicate that this information is not true. Finally, librarians are also
extremely helpful at showing us how to detect fake news on social media sites, as they are all
versed in this area