| Debunking, verification, and fact checking are often used interchangeably, sometimes causing confusion, but there are differences. Debunking is literally the act of exposing the falseness of a claim. From this point of view, while verification and fact checking is the process we use to inspect the accuracy of an information, debunking is like the final act. We might find an information to be true after fact checking it and then of course we can’t debunk it. Generally, when it comes to media literacy and critical thinking, one of the first practical tools against misinformation is fact checking and researching the same information from different sources. Its impact however is still subject to investigation. Apart from the studies supporting the necessity of fact checking, another argument beside it is that it is still a better option than regulating the rights of free speech. And as we arrive at the topic of free speech the discourse becomes really heated and politicised. While we can observe that traditionally the whole political spectrum agrees that misinformation and fake news are a real problem which had to be treated, none of them found a better solution which is acceptable for every party than fact checking. Below you will find a list of training activities you can implement with your class/young people with the purpose of gaining knowledge and abilities dealing with various aspects related to conspiracy theories. |
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What is a conspiracy theory?
The information bubble
Why do we believe in conspiracy theories?
Fact checking
What is critical thinking?
How to escape the rabbit hole?
Activity 5 - Quest to Find Out the Truth
It is easy to be swayed into believing something if it is repeated often enough, if it is in print or comes from someone we admire or respect. This might not be a problem in some circumstances, but in order to make informed decisions or access information about issues that are important to us it is imperative that the sources we rely on are accurate.
Description
To help to develop the learners’ critical thinking skills, they are required to work as part of a team, and review how a current news topic is covered on different outlets.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this activity, learners will
- Understand the basic criteria that are used to verify information
- Be able to critically analyze media content and sources
- Be able to understand why is it important to use multiple sources before rush to conclusions
- Be able make a synthesis based on the sources
Materials needed for implementation
- Internet access
- Tablet/Laptop at least 1 for every group
- Post-its
- Pens
- Blank pages
- Flip chart for summary
Time required
50 min.
Minimum / Maximum group size
4 - 15
Level
Beginner (no prior knowledge required)
Introduction
When researching any topic, the internet has become the main port of call. The term ‘google’ has entered our dictionary as a verb. The internet is a vast space with an almost limitless amount of data. It is difficult to filter through all these sources online to find what is credible and what is fake. The aim of this WebQuest is to support learners to develop their critical thinking skills so that they can be applied to decide which sources to trust.
5 min
5 min
Activity description
1. To help develop the participants’ critical thinking skills, they are required to work in teams, and pick a current news topic related to International Relations in the 21th century. Working in small groups of 3 or 4 people (odd numbers are better for group dynamics), participants may choose to focus on the on-going war between Russia and Ukraine, the alleged American influence and their role in the war, or some other news item that is of interest to the group.
10 min
2. Once the news topic has been identified, the groups are instructed to find an article or video that reports this news topic on each of the following media channels:
· BBC News
· RT – Russia Today, Pravda
· Al Jazeera English
· Vox – Understand the News (Online Source)
· Fox News
· CNN International
The groups should choose 1 or 2 national news channels/portal from their respective country. (In case participants are coming from different countries they have to choose 1 or 2 national news channels\portal which they all understand and do not have to select one or two from each of their countries.)
10 min
3. The groups will review these news reports. Once all news channels have been reviewed, the groups will then make a list of what is similar and what is different in each of the media reports. Through a group discussion they will identify which media outlet they believe most, and which they think is ‘fake news’. They will then identify what the different ‘agendas’ are from the different media outlets, what sources were used in the media reports and if the group believes these are ‘credible’. Once the group has completed these tasks, and from a review of all they have read and seen from the various media outlets, as a group, they are required to write a short synopsis of the news topic, highlighting what they all think has actually taken place in this news story. At the end, they will have to present this to other groups.
In their presentation the groups have to outline:
· The news topic they chose.
· The media outlet which they thought was most credible and your justification for this choice.
· The media outlet that they thought was spreading ‘fake news’ and their justification for this.
· The synopsis of what the group thinks actually happened.
· Did they find anything common among the (Same) news presented by the various channels/platforms in terms of tone, perspective etc.?
20 min
10 min
2. Once the news topic has been identified, the groups are instructed to find an article or video that reports this news topic on each of the following media channels:
· BBC News
· RT – Russia Today, Pravda
· Al Jazeera English
· Vox – Understand the News (Online Source)
· Fox News
· CNN International
The groups should choose 1 or 2 national news channels/portal from their respective country. (In case participants are coming from different countries they have to choose 1 or 2 national news channels\portal which they all understand and do not have to select one or two from each of their countries.)
10 min
3. The groups will review these news reports. Once all news channels have been reviewed, the groups will then make a list of what is similar and what is different in each of the media reports. Through a group discussion they will identify which media outlet they believe most, and which they think is ‘fake news’. They will then identify what the different ‘agendas’ are from the different media outlets, what sources were used in the media reports and if the group believes these are ‘credible’. Once the group has completed these tasks, and from a review of all they have read and seen from the various media outlets, as a group, they are required to write a short synopsis of the news topic, highlighting what they all think has actually taken place in this news story. At the end, they will have to present this to other groups.
In their presentation the groups have to outline:
· The news topic they chose.
· The media outlet which they thought was most credible and your justification for this choice.
· The media outlet that they thought was spreading ‘fake news’ and their justification for this.
· The synopsis of what the group thinks actually happened.
· Did they find anything common among the (Same) news presented by the various channels/platforms in terms of tone, perspective etc.?
20 min
Debriefing
On post-its, participants write down what they found interesting. They post these on the flipchart, the facilitator should summarise the findings.
Conclusion:
When the IT revolution began in earnest, in the latter part of the 20th Century, the issue of digital inclusion was almost always a question of access. Today there is no doubt that people have access to technology, and the key question is whether they can manage and interpret the information and communication overload appropriately?
We live in a world where the influence of mass media on individuals and on society is unprecedented due to the pervasiveness of social media platforms. So how should we decide who or which news we trust?
In today’s digital and social media reality anyone can be a ‘journalist’; collecting, writing and distributing news or other current information to the general public. But no responsibility is taken regarding the information spread, therefore we have to be critical in how to interpret, analyze and fact-check the information we consume. And while it is a time consuming work to separate “noise” from facts it is an effort worth pursuing so we will not be led by our noses.
7 min.
Conclusion:
When the IT revolution began in earnest, in the latter part of the 20th Century, the issue of digital inclusion was almost always a question of access. Today there is no doubt that people have access to technology, and the key question is whether they can manage and interpret the information and communication overload appropriately?
We live in a world where the influence of mass media on individuals and on society is unprecedented due to the pervasiveness of social media platforms. So how should we decide who or which news we trust?
In today’s digital and social media reality anyone can be a ‘journalist’; collecting, writing and distributing news or other current information to the general public. But no responsibility is taken regarding the information spread, therefore we have to be critical in how to interpret, analyze and fact-check the information we consume. And while it is a time consuming work to separate “noise” from facts it is an effort worth pursuing so we will not be led by our noses.
7 min.
Adaptation to online mode
The activity can be conducted online with a video conference software - following the same steps as in case of the f2f version - where learners can be divided into groups. An additional person (different from the trainer, who informs learners about the process) who manages the online communication platform might speed up the process.
Further resources
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References
