New SoC course focuses on defining fake news and identifying trustworthy sources
| November 9, 2017 |
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by Virginia Barreda
Loyola鈥檚 School of Communication has introduced a new class this semester focusing on fake news.
Special Topics in Journalism Fake News: A Critical Look, taught by Adjunct Professor Dorothy 鈥淒odie鈥� Hofstetter, examines current and historical examples of fake news and includes discussion on how to help consumers determine the difference between trustworthy and untrustworthy sources.
Hofstetter said in her class, she wants to stress three main points regarding fake news:
- While fake news has recently come to the forefront of discussion, it鈥檚 not a new concept.
- Journalists have a 鈥渘ewer responsibility鈥� of helping consumers decide what鈥檚 journalism and what鈥檚 not. 鈥淭hese days, sources may look legitimate, even if they鈥檙e not,鈥� Hofstetter said. 鈥淭he area is gray.鈥�
- The class focuses on definitions. 鈥淗ow do you talk about fake news without knowing what it is?鈥� Hofstetter said. Students are encouraged to first define news and journalism, and then ask what is quality journalism.
鈥淔or our first project, we had to define news, and our final project is defining news and fake news,鈥� junior Multimedia Journalism major Henry Redman said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e spending the whole semester trying to find those definitions, and ending up with just a basic definition of both is going to be nice.鈥�
Senior Multimedia Journalism major Jamilyn Hiskes said the class has already begun to list some key components of fake news.
鈥溾�ome parts of the fake news definition is that it鈥檚 made intentionally; it鈥檚 made to further a certain agenda and it鈥檚 made to make a profit,鈥� said Hiskes, 21. 鈥淭hose are the three of the biggest things that we鈥檝e come up with.鈥�
The class has also invited in a number of guest speakers throughout the semester. One of the visitors was former Chicago Tribune Associate Managing Editor, Bill Parker. Parker and his colleague, journalist James O鈥橲hea devised a business plan with a rating system based on high, unbiased journalistic standards to determine a source鈥檚 reliability.
Hiskes said while rating hundreds of sources is a daunting task, it will be a useful tool for news consumers.
鈥淭hey think this will help combat some of the people just clicking on whatever article they see from whatever source,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat idea was pretty cool to us and it was honesty shocking that no one had really thought about something similar before.鈥�
During most classes, students bring historical and present-day examples of fake news to share and discuss.
Hiskes said it鈥檚 her favorite part of class. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just interesting to see how it鈥檚 changed over time and how it鈥檚 stayed the same,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome people have done stories from 15th and 16th centuries and some people have done stories from a month ago.鈥�
As a journalist, Hiskes said, her main concern is that fake news undermines the entire journalism industry.
鈥淚 worry that people will stop trusting institutions like the New York Times, who may have published incorrect things before, but have never published fake news,鈥� she said.
Junior Multimedia Journalism major Michael McDevitt thinks it鈥檚 up to internet companies like Facebook and Twitter to help combat the issue.
鈥淔ake news is a money-making operation,鈥� McDevitt, 21, said. 鈥淪o as long as you click, [they鈥檙e] going to make money. It doesn鈥檛鈥� matter if people know it鈥檚 fake. So, [companies] need to start monitoring their sites more, taking down stuff that is harmful to public discourse and is misinforming people. The public should also educate themselves. If you do a little reading, you can tell the fake stuff from the real stuff.鈥�
He also argues that journalists should do their part.
鈥淎s a journalist, my job is to inform the truth as best as I can and break down complex things into simple words so that everyone can understand,鈥� he said.
Students in the course are also in the process of creating guidelines to help news consumers recognize what sources should be trusted and which should not.
鈥淚 think in that way, journalists need to help people learn what鈥檚 fake and what鈥檚 not, McDevitt said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be difficult because trust in the media is very low right now鈥nd so I think one way to earn that trust back is to help show people we鈥檙e trying to be the good guys here鈥nd teach people the truth.鈥�
Hofstetter said she has received positive feedback from students about the class and appreciates the thoughtful contributions to class discussion.
鈥淢ost of these students are people who want to be working journalists, she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e sharing their thoughts on how frustrating it can be sometimes to compete with someone who is a blogger [versus] someone who has gone through rigorous journalism studies. Journalism is vital to democracy itself. It鈥檚 there to keep government in check it can be super frustrating when you鈥檙e dedicated when opportunities are vanishing instead if increasing.鈥�
Junior Multimedia Journalism major Chris Hacker said the line between fake news and fact is blurred, but the class has allowed for discussion one how to better separate the trustworthy information from the falsities.
鈥淚 think being able to spend a couple hours a week talking about news without a lot of structure, being able to discuss the problems that we face, and as a group, try to come up with solutions, has been biggest take away,鈥� said Hacker, 21.