Media literacy lesson: What to do when "trusted sources" share misinformation

Publish date: 2024-07-23

Overview

People or organizations that appear to be credible and qualified can also spread misinformation when not all the facts are clear, especially during a scary event such as the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Students will explore an example of a credible source spreading misinformation about acid rain and then apply those media literacy skills to research another issue surrounding the release of dangerous chemicals.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

Subjects

media literacy, social studies, language arts, journalism

Grade Levels

Grades 6-12

Supplemental Links

KEY VOCABULARY

Lateral reading — finding additional sources as a way of checking the credibility of information you read online; "lateral" because multiple tabs are open across your screen (Stanford History Education Group)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Warm-up : Why would a source that seems credible and reliable provide misleading information?

Watch the MediaWise Teen-Fact Checking Network (TFCN) video. According to the video…

A drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. NTSBGov/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
  • Is Kate Biberdorf a credible source for information about acid rain? Why or why not?
  • Does the evidence support Biberdorf’s inference that acid rain fell in East Palestine, Ohio? Why or why not?
  • What primary media literacy strategy did the teen fact checker use to learn more about the source of information and the evidence of the claim?

    • DIG DEEPER

  • Why would a qualified “expert” want to share a scary claim on social media?
  • Why are posts that evoke strong emotions more likely to spread misinformation?

    • ACTIVITY

    Watch the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs story about how the train derailment is impacting residents of East Palestine, Ohio . Answer the following questions.

  • What were some of the medical conditions that residents reported after the derailment?
  • What concerns did the residents have about resources?
  • Research the findings about water safety in East Palestine and use lateral reading to compare the three most reliable sources. List the sources below and a summary of your findings. Would you drink the water based on your research? Why or why not?

    • These lessons were developed by PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs in partnership with MediaWise and the Teen Fact-Checking Network , which are part of the Poynter Institute . This partnership has been made possible with support from Google.”

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