Fake News

Fake News

YA nonfiction
"Fake news doesn't just impact the political arena. Since the
late 1990s many parents have shared false medical stories. One major
false claim is that vaccinations--received by children to prevent
common childhood illnesses such as measles, mumps, and chickenpox--
cause autism...Believing the false stories, many American parents have
refused to have their children vaccinated for whooping cough, measles,
diptheria, and other infectious diseases. Vaccine refusal puts
communities at high risk for disease outbreaks..."
By the time they hit middle or high school most kids in this
country have heard the term "fake news". Many aren't quite sure what
it encompasses. (Actually many adults are in the dark on this issue.)
Michael Miller's Fake News is an excellent resource. It begins by
defining the two ways the term is correctly used (false stories and
social media posts designed to mislead and false claims by people in
power that legitimate stories, often ones that make them look bad,
aren't factual). It then covers fascinating topics such as:
*the history of fake news which was around when the new media on the
scene was the printing press;
*the checks and balances required by the legitimate press;
*why fake news is created and consumed;
and *how much harm it does.
The preteen/teen reader is addressed as a potential actor,
capable of detecting and slowing the spread of fake news, and given
much helpful information. I know that if my kids were still in the
target demographics I'd get them a copy.
On a personal real news note (verifiable by a number of sources),
yesterday was a bright, sunny day. Now we're back in rain. We've
been getting a lot of rain this May. Daffodils, forsythia, and other
seasonal blooms are providing lovely splashes of color against all the
grey.
A great big shout out goes out to all who fight to protect legitimate
news from all the dangerous false stuff out there.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod