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fake news

Harry Houdini: Fake news fighting pioneer

fake news, history, KT Lowe, magic October 12, 2020 Other mdilwort

The immigrant born as Ehrich Weiss became more than a star. Throughout his career, Harry Houdini continuously upended public perceptions of magic and reality with daring escapes, feats of mentalism and, toward the end of his life, debunking the claims of spiritualists. As committed as he was to furthering magic, he was equally devoted to the pursuit of truth and spent much of his last years exposing fraudulent mediums, spirit photographers and others who claimed to communicate with the dead. Spiritualism began as a religious awakening movement in 1848, when two sisters, Kate and Margaret Fox, stated that they had been able to contact the spirit of a deceased peddler, “Mr. Splitfoot”, and began to hold séances in their home … Continued

The Fight Against Fake News Begins with Me

critical thinking, fake news, good information, KT Lowe March 31, 2020 outreach mdilwort

A first person account of the battle for accuracy from a rather unattractive couch I have tried very hard to be a Nerd of Trust. To me, accurate and timely information is a critical need for daily life function, and since 2016 I have worked tirelessly to promote good information literacy while combating fake news. As someone who has built a reputation of trustworthiness among colleagues, family and friends through fact-checks, online posts about false information and a relentless attack on fake news stories, I’ve earned my Nerd of Trust credentials. The COVID-19 pandemic was an ideal situation for fake news purveyors. Through the rise of social media, many Americans have fallen prey to medically-oriented misinfodemics – floods of false … Continued

New Year’s Resolution: No More Memes

fake news, good information, KT Lowe, memes January 6, 2020 Research mdilwort

Angry women and smug cats. Tiny green Jedis. Gummi bear challenge. 2019 was full of memes both irritating and ingratiating, and as usual we as a public could not get enough of them. Easily shareable, graphically enticing, sometimes inspirational, memes spread rapidly across all social media platforms. For something so fun and silly, what could be the harm? Well, it turns out those memes may not be entirely innocent. According to the work of Clemson University professors Patrick Warren and Darren Linvill, those memes may be the work of Russian trolls. The Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) played a role in the 2016 election by promoting false information on social media. While fake news stories remain a major problem mostly … Continued

Reading – for engagement, inspiration, discovery, and more!

critical thinking, fake news, information literacy, literacy, new students, read, student success August 19, 2019 Matt Dilworth, outreach mdilwort

Many departments on campus are partnering with the library to make READ posters. These posters, conceived in 1985 by the American Library Association, promote the value and excitement of reading and other forms of literacy. Celebrity authors and media personalities are featured. At IU East, we’re featuring our own stars – staff and faculty who posed with their favorite books, sharing a variety of interests! The Campus Library staff have diverse interests and expertise, and are eager to assist you. Information literacy is the ability to evaluate and apply information to your needs. Critical thinking skills enable you to analyze and problem-solve any situation. Media literacy helps you understand when you’re being manipulated, and also helps you identify when … Continued

What’s a deepfake?

checking sources, fake news, KT Lowe, misinformation July 8, 2019 Research mdilwort

Seeing is believing. That’s a truism most of us have held onto forever. The modern version – “Pics or it didn’t happen” – only reinforces the idea that visual evidence is more honest than verbal or written evidence. Images are intended to represent something that actually exists or once existed, and serve as a memento of a person, place, object or event. Photographic images are supposed to be infallible and real, the promise of early photography revealed. Deepfakes, however, challenge this idea of visual truth by presenting intentionally false video, usually on a platform that can be seen by multiple people. These videos have the potential to skew public discourse and influence elections, much as fake news stories may have … Continued