Let’s get real: Fake news is a big problem.
We put a group of staff and students to the test, asking them to discern between real news and phony facsimiles.
As it turns out, it’s not always easy to tell the difference.
But the Library aims to make it easier.
A free event Thursday, called “Media Manipulation, Fake News, and Trolls: A Critical Media Workshop and Skill-Share,” aims, in part, to help empower students to identify and combat media misinformation.
What do students think about the effort?
“It’s absolutely important,” said UC Berkeley junior Ashley-Grace Vo, of The Daily Californian, citing the onslaught of fake news littering the media landscape. “It’s a very confusing time to be alive.”
The workshop is part of the Library’s new Level Up initiative, which includes an online guide to Weeding out BS, designed to help students navigate fake news, shoddy scholarship, trolls, and media bias.
The workshop runs 5:30-7 p.m. at 405 Moffitt, and pizza and soft drinks will be provided.