Students, CNN and Fake News

I recently read a posting by a Teacher Librarian on the OZTL_NET forums about students perceiving American news channel CNN to be "fake news".

This is concerning given that I believe that such perceptions have been shaped by US President Donald Trump's comments at the reporting by CNN about him and the presidency.

The comment "fake news" has been misused as pointed out by some media outlets including The Guardian to discredit the information. Trump is amongst them, even applying the term to journalists.

Fake News refers to a story that is created to deliberately misinform or deceive readers. The events or information is simply untrue. Information is not verified.

Such articles can also be biased e.g. alleging that individuals were involved or connected to the event when it was not true. This can then be used to advocate a particular argument or justify an argument.

In the United States and Australia, we are blessed to have freedom of the press. News outlets are free to pursue whatever agenda that interests them. To protect the community, there are also standards imposed on how information is presented. Government departments like The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Australian Press Council regulate the media to ensure that viewers or readers are presented with information that is true and accurate.

There is bound to be bias in media outlets and journalists in presenting information. They will have a tendency to usually support one side of the political spectrum. Some will not be afraid to change sides e.g. The Daily Telegraph advised its readers to elect Prime Ministers Gough Whitlam (1972) and Kevin Rudd (2007) despite historically leaning towards the Liberal Party.

So how do we respond to this? We should tell our students to:

1. Verify the information - Check other sources. Are the facts correct? 
2. Consider the audience that it is being written for?
3. Is there bias in the article? Are other perspectives presented?
4. Is the author reputable?
5. Consider the presentation of the content - Is it well written? Is the discussion balanced and fair? Can you understand concepts and ideas? Consider spelling and grammar.

Is CNN Fake News?

I have access to CNN and CNN International at home. I tend to prefer CNN which is the flagship channel of the networks that form CNN. The content is largely talk based focusing on discussion of news issues by various presenters including Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and Chris Cumno. CNN will also screen special reports and documentaries.

Like any media outlet, CNN has been guilty of controversies on its reporting but it is a reputable source for news and information. Personally, I use it alongside other sources including The New York Times, MSNBC, One America News, NBC and CBS to obtain news on events in the United States and around the world. 

CNN will draw on other news sources including global television networks and news agencies including Reuters and Associated Press. They will go to some effort to verify their sources!!!

There is definitely some bias in its reporting but competitors do the same. However, this becomes less of an issue as long as you obtain other perspectives from other sources.

Blur by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel

There is a book I'm going to recommend not just to Teacher Librarians but to everyone because of its relevance.

It is: Blur: How to Know What's True In The Age of Information Overload by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel.

Why? In this age of 24 hour news cycles, abundance of information in many formats and differing views, it is so important that we take time to examine the information that is presented to us.

Society is fast paced and people want to get their information quickly. Those involved in getting the information like journalists are also required to meet tight deadlines.

The book encourages us to be more critical about we see, read and view. It encourages us to determine if the information fulfills its purpose. Does it inform us? Does it answer the questions that we as the viewer are seeking. Is there truth in the item? Is the information accurate?

Do we get the full story which is balanced? Do we get detailed information? Was it well researched?

Even characterisation is looked at. Some journalists especially on TV like to assume roles of characters in order to get points across and we need to see how that impacts on the information we get from the story.

The two part telemovie Power Games (Nine Network Australia, 2013) allowed me to reflect on this particularly Sir Frank Packer's insistence that his Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph favour the Liberal Party and be anti communist when it was part of Consolidated Press (the paper joined News Limited in 1972). There was also the battle between the same paper and the now defunct newspaper The Daily Mirror operated by Rupert Murdoch in advocating for candidates for the Australian Prime Minister ship following the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt in 1967.

Would a biased approach to an event be fair? For someone like me, its not. I want to hear all sides of a story, not one. Both Packer and Murdoch went for one side by focusing on a particular candidate. Packer choose William McMahon because he was a personal friend while Murdoch supported John Gorton. If I was around in that time, I want to find out about both contenders and find out why they are suited to the job; like I would in the current battle for the Labor Party Leadership between Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese. I also think bias leads to distortion of the truth as well, not good.

I find its similar to the approach that historians undertake in historical research where they need to assess a source for its usefulness and reliability as part of their research. This includes the fundamental questions of any investigation - Who, What,Whee, When, Why and How? If we can have this information, then we can determine if there is truth in what we see, view, read and listen.