LibGuides: Fake News, Propaganda, and Other Types of False Information: Media Literacy Resources: Researching Disinformation Using Library Databases

Information

“We tend to think that we have rational relationships to information, but we don’t. We have emotional relationships to information, which is why the most effective disinformation draws on our underlying fears and worldviews….We’re less likely to be critical of information that reinforces our worldview or taps into our deep-seated emotional responses.” - Claire Wardle

How do we know which sources of information to trust?

These questions are becoming increasingly difficult to answer, and even more so as “disinformation that is designed to provoke an emotional reaction can flourish in these spaces” (Wardle).

A 2020 study from Project Information Literacy confirms that the way information is delivered today—with opinion and propaganda mingled with traditional news sources, and with algorithms highlighting sources based on engagement rather than quality—has left many college students concerned about the trustworthiness of online content. One student noted that “it’s not that we’re lacking credible information. It’s that we’re drowning in like a sea of all these different points out there” (Head et al. 20). There are 4 key things to do to quickly make a decision about whether or not a source is worthy of your attention - "S.I.F.T.” your sources - Stop. Investigate the source. Find better coverage. Trace quotes, claims, and media to their original source..

Example of "better coverage." - Wisconsin Public Radio

Tiktok Algorithms and Vaccine Misinformation
Megan Pena, age 12, heard the false but pervasive misinformation that the vaccines affect fertility first from a cousin around her age, but then had it reinforced by videos she saw on TikTok, her mom said.
More About SIFTing Your Sources
This article also links to short videos about looking for credible and trusted sources.

What are algorithms?

Algorithms are step-by-step instructions computers follow to make automated decisions and predictions about people (you!), including their preferences, attributes, and behaviors. Algorithms power nearly everything we see online. They determine the content many of us interact with daily, such as Google, YouTube, Instagram, Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, and Spotify. Feel free to ignore the algorithms, YOU choose what YOU want to see!

What Are Algoirthms?
“Everyone who has accessed the internet has experienced the personalizing actions of algorithms, whether they realize it or not. These invisible lines of code can track our interactions, trying to game our consumer habits and political leanings to determine what ads, news stories and information we see….As tracking practices have become more common and advanced, it has become urgent to understand how these computer programs work and have widespread impact. How do students understand the hidden filters that influence what they see and learn, and shape what they think and who they are?” (Head et al. 13)
The Influence of Algorithms
What happens when algorithms are used to predict when college students are “cheating” on a test, or to predict who should be hired for a job or who should get a loan, or to decide the type of information we see in our social media newsfeeds, or to calculate credit scores, or even to predict criminal behavior and determine prison sentences? Are Google search results really an unbiased presentation of the best available information on a research question? How do algorithms impact our perception of a research topic, or of our own realities?
Algorithmic Bias
In search engines, for example, algorithmic bias can create search results that reflect racist, sexist, or other social biases, despite the presumed neutrality of the data.

Source: Open Educational Resource (OER)

Introduction to College Research by Walter D. Butler, Aloha Sargent, and Kelsey Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Types of Bad Information

Information Disorder, Truth, and Trust
“We tend to think that we have rational relationships to information, but we don’t. We have emotional relationships to information, which is why the most effective disinformation draws on our underlying fears and worldviews….We’re less likely to be critical of information that reinforces our worldview or taps into our deep-seated emotional responses”

Propaganda - the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor, deliberately for the purpose of helping or damaging an opposing causeFake News - false "news" stories (and social media posts) whose purpose is to confuse or manipulate the facts or language surrounding news events. This is done in primarily two ways: 1) to present fake news as real news -- to deliberately mislead the reader/audience about people or topics. Many fake news sources may look “official.” They create logos that are a close copy of the original; 2) to present real news as fake news -- people who do not like or agree with proven facts may dismiss them by calling them fake news in order to instill doubt in the facts.

"...there is no greater oppression than the hijacking of the mind, and critical information at a critical time is necessary to empower the public to be able to protect itself and to act while it's still possible." - Bandy X. Lee, MD. warning on the dangers of creeping authoritarianism

Misinformation and Disinformation: A Guide for Protecting Yourself
Misinformation and disinformation (MDI) presents a challenge to American and other democracies.
In this guide, you’ll learn what MDI is, and how to protect yourself, your children, and your loved ones. In addition, we provide resources on fact-checking, prevention and reporting misinformation.

Short Video: Using Western Library's Databases

NOTE: You will be asked to login with your Western ID when you link to the library databases. For short tutorials about individual databases, check out our Database Intro Guide, linked below.

Database Intro Guide
This LibGuide includes video and screenshot tutorials that teach you about how to navigate the different Western Library databases by EBSCO, Gale, and more, to find articles and streaming video for homework and research assignments.

Conspiracy Theories

Search for articles about "conspiracy theories" in the following databases:

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Use this database as the first step in your research process. It contains short articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and other reference sources on a wide range of subjects. Get started on your assignment or research project by learning about key people, places, dates, events, concepts, and ideas related to your topic.
Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
A giant database that covers a wide range of topics. Use it to find peer-reviewed scholarly articles, as well as articles from trade journals, newspapers, and magazines.
Communications and Mass Media (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new window
This database focuses on all aspects of the communications field, including advertising, public relations, linguistics, and literature found in newspapers, magazines, academic journals, primary source documents, and multimedia. A great source for students and faculty in graphic design, digital media, marketing, leadership and other fields where knowledge and information about communication are important. Includes Gale’s visual Topic Finder tool.
Opposing Viewpoints (Gale in Context) This link opens in a new window
This is a great source for assignments related to current events and important social issues. This database contains full-text magazine, academic journal, and newspaper articles, biographies, primary source documents, statistics, images and podcasts, and links to websites. Additional features include pro/con viewpoint articles, topic overviews, court cases, and issues of interest. Choose a research topic from a wide range of areas from genetic testing to gun safety to women in professional sports, to recycling, cell phones in schools, or medical technology, and much, much more.
SIRS Issues Researcher (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Use this database if you need to find a research topic to complete an assignment. This database dives into current global social issues and provides content such as analysis and opinion via pro/con articles, government documents, primary sources, newswires, charts, maps, images, statistics, newspapers, magazine, and scholarly journal articles, as well as links to websites. Topic groups include business and economics; communication and technology; environment and science; world culture and politics; ethics; civil rights and liberties; school, family, and youth; and health and wellness.
Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
Thousands of streaming videos, films, and documentaries covering subjects including history, biology, business and economics, engineering, computer science, technical and trade skills, art and architecture, music and dance, philosophy and religion, geography, environmental science, anthropology, language and literature, mathematics, psychology, sociology, political science, and more. Videos and segments have closed captioning and/or transcripts.