In today's world, sharing news is as easy as clicking a button, but how often do we really think about the stories that we read? Is that story that showed up on your Facebook feed accurate? It's made a pretty big claim, but how can you tell if it's the truth?
The purpose of this research guide is to teach you how to analyze and fact check stories to verify the validity of the news.
Why Fake News?
Fake news can generate a significant amount of money for its creators with ad revenue. Learn more about the people who create the content in these articles.
Types of Fake News
There are three broad categories of fake news, according to media professor Melissa Zimdars of Merrimack College.
CATEGORY 1: Fake, false, or regularly misleading websites that are shared on Facebook and social media. Some of these websites may rely on “outrage” by using distorted headlines and decontextualized or dubious information in order to generate likes, shares, and profits.
CATEGORY 2: Websites that may circulate misleading and/or potentially unreliable information
CATEGORY 3: Websites which sometimes use clickbait-y headlines and social media descriptions
No single topic falls under a single category - for example, false or misleading medical news may be entirely fabricated (Category 1), may intentionally misinterpret facts or misrepresent data (Category 2), may be accurate or partially accurate but use an alarmist title to get your attention (Category 3). Some articles fall under more than one category. Assessing the quality of the content is crucial to understanding whether what you are viewing is true or not. It is up to you to do the legwork to make sure your information is good.
About the Library
Where is the Library Located?
As an ACC student, you can check out a variety of different types of library materials. Here's a brief selection of what is offered.
Check out limits - 7 items at a time
Books - 7 books for 30 days
DVDs - 2 DVDs for one week
Audiobooks - 2 audiobooks for 30 days
Magazines - for use only in the library
In order to check out library materials, you are required to present your ACC student ID. If you do not have a student ID, please review this information on how to obtain one.