Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. It often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue – it can be incredibly detrimental. Essentially, fake news is inaccurate information that misleads the audeince. In Mike Caulfield’s “It Can Take as Little as Thirty Seconds, Seriously”, he discusses how easy it is to determine if a source is credible or not. Caulfield describes a “good net citizen” as one that: source-checks what they share, shares from the best source possible, and provides context to people they share with when necessary. These all seem incredibly easy to me, and something that I hope I can implement in my life! He also includes a video, with the time stamp, to reiterate just how simple and quick the process of checking your information is.
I have definitely been the victim of fake news before, and I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in it. Caulfield truly breaks down the process, and shows his audience how simple it is step by step – which encourages the audience to implement his strategies.
Of all the readings this week, I found this to be the most direct and helpful. I really enjoyed it, and look forward to utilizing these tactics.