This Guide was created by Nathan Elwood in 2017, edited by Kelly Hovinga, and currently updated and managed by Heather VanDyne
Read all about it!
The world of fake news is a pretty grim one to live in. In this alternate universe, presidential candidates have opponents murdered, pizza parlors engage in human trafficking, and Spaniards are sinking our battleships!
Luckily, this isn't the world we live in. However, we are living in a world that some, like the Oxford Dictionary, have deemed "post-truth."
Many believe that this is a modern problem that comes out of our social media habits, but the truth is that fake news has always been a concern. It's a natural inclination for us to want to believe information that confirms our beliefs, and that inclination has been taken advantage of by opportunists for as long as we've consumed news.
In order to be competent information consumers, we need to learn how to properly evaluate information, and engage with our sources. This is a skill that will be useful not just in an academic career, but throughout life.
Comic by Signe Wilkinson / Philly.com (WPWG 2016)
All the news that's fit to digitally access!
One of the biggest hurdles in finding quality news sources is that often, the tools we use the most do not do enough to discern between reliable and unreliable sources of information. While some popular sites are working to combat this problem, headlines have also been filled with major failures on the part of some of the most popular websites to contain the spread of misinformation.
There are, however, better ways of finding information. Forsyth Library provides a variety of reliable databases for investigating News and Current Events.
If you're having trouble determining the validity of a source, or need help researching quality information, remember that you can always Ask a Librarian. The librarians are Forsyth Library are Information Experts, and are available by chat, phone, email or text to help you out with any questions you may have.
