Fake News Checklist ☐ Find a fake news story. You can google “fake news stories” OR look at the stories that have been exposed as fake on the
Fake News Checklist
☐ Find a fake news story. You can google “fake news stories” OR look at the stories that have been exposed as fake on the AP’s website: https://apnews.com/hub/not-real-news.
☐ Identify the main topic of your story. Is it about vaccinations? A political candidate? WHAT is it about?
☐ Conduct research on your topic using either a library database (and make sure to select Academic Journals) OR conduct a Google Advanced search of the pre-approved websites (see the Step 2 Tab of the Fake News LibGuide to see those websites).
☐ Choose and read 3 credible articles about how different cultures/groups might respond to your chosen topic. For example, would mothers react more strongly to a fake news story about vaccinations? Would a Republican have a different opinion about a fake news story about a Democratic political candidate?
☐ If you have trouble finding good credible sources, see an AC Librarian (https://www.actx.edu/library).
☐ Write a 700-word essay, following APA style (with a References page and in-text citations throughout your paper), ensuring that you answer the following questions:
1. In general, what is your fake news story trying to persuade people to believe?
2. What did the 3 sources that you found teach you about intercultural differences in how different groups of people might vary in their interpretations and reactions to your fake news story?
3. How does the spread of fake news on social media affect how people trust real news sources?
4. Does the group we belong to influence how (or whether) we share fake news? When answering this question think about ingroup(s) to which you belong, and how those ingroups impact your opinions.
5. How do you think you (as an individual) can combat fake news – or at least the fake news story that you selected?
6. How do you think groups or communities can work together to promote the spread of accurate information instead of fake news?
Please note: Some of the questions above are asking for YOUR opinions. If you use others’ opinions from your research articles, you must cite those sources properly, following APA style. You do not have to provide sources for your responses if they are exclusively your opinions.
☐ Seek help in The Writers’ Corner (https://www.actx.edu/successcenters/writerscorner) to ensure no points are deducted for grammar, formatting, or style issues.
☐ In our course in Blackboard, find the drop-box for this assignment and upload PDF files of your 3 credible sources, your fake news story, AND your essay (5 total PDFs).
