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PublicSource director discusses ‘fake news’ at USC Library

3 min read
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Over the past year, the term “fake news” has evolved into a meme.

To explain what “fake news” actually is and how to defend against it, Mila Sanina, executive director of PublicSource, spoke to a group at Upper St. Clair Library Sept. 20 about the term that describes false news stories or poor journalism.

“As technology has increased, it has become increasingly difficult for consumers to know what’s real and what’s fake,” said Sanina, who works for the Pittsburgh-based investigative news source. “I’ve been in journalism for 12 years,” said Sanina, who has previously been a journalist at CNN International, PBS Newshour and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “No one was talking about Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram. I would’ve never thought to see how it has affected the newsroom.”

Rather than discussing partisan politics, Sanina explained what “fake news” is and isn’t, providing specific examples.

Sanina said it comes in two main forms. The first is “shoddy reporting posing as real journalism,” and the second is “hyper partisan” opinions. It can sometimes be completely false or will “distort” facts, she said.

“I’m not talking about news that you disagree with. That’s not fake news,” Sanina said.

Sanina shared several studies about “fake news,” including a 2016 Pew Research Center survey that found nearly two-thirds of respondents believe “fake news” has left them in a “great deal of confusion” about basic facts. Sanina also showed a BuzzFeed analysis after the 2016 election found that there was more “fake news” than real news leading up to the election.

Sanina explained why some people produce such false stories, including Paul Horner, who was known as a contributor for his own “fake news” websites before his Sept. 18 death. The New York Times confirmed Horner died from an apparent drug overdose.

She also gave attendees examples of popular examples, such as a picture of a shark in water on a highway, which was fabricated, that has gone viral during most recent hurricanes in the United States.

A website that has gained some traction on social media and often produces falsehoods is RT.com., which stands for “Russia Today,” and is a propaganda website for the Kremlin, Sanina said.

Sanina said to combat the problem, news consumers need to “recognize we are part of the problem and take time to think critically about the information we’re consuming.” She also said it is critical for people to “get out of their bubble” and not only consume news that aligns with their identity or beliefs.

Sanina also gave nine techniques or tools in her PowerPoint for news consumers to enhance their media literacy.

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