Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)
Reporters go to where something happened to get the latest news. They interview people who saw what happened to find out more about the situation. Reporters also check the facts to make sure what they write is accurate.
Social media is a popular place for sharing news, but sometimes, the information is not true. People might post fake information on sites such as Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp.
Often, fake news tries to change what you think and how you act. So, how can we tell if something is false and protect ourselves from it?
False information is not always easy to spot. But there are some things we can do to check it. First, we should look at the sources. If the news does not have a witness or expert comment, it might not be true. For example, an athlete is not a good source for a news article about a scientific discovery.
Then, we can check the author of the article. If the author has posted fake news in the past, we should be careful about believing what they say. We should also check the story’s release date. The news article should be recent, otherwise, the information in it might not be true any more.
And if you are not sure whether the information is correct, avoid sharing it with more people.
Spot the fake news sources
Instructions:
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Reliable news sources share true information. Trusted news organisations have articles written by journalists. They should tell us where they get their facts. These articles should show both sides of the story. Different sources should also have the same information.
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Decide if the sources below are more likely to have reliable (R) or less reliable (LR) news.
Answers:
1. WhatsApp (LR); 2. news on local television (R); 3. Facebook (LR); 4. TikTok (LR); 5. international radio news (R); 6. print newspapers (R); 7. blogs (LR); 8. Instagram (LR)
Write your own news article
Materials:
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smartphone
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paper
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pen
Instructions:
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Pick an event at your school to report on. Brainstorm the key information you want to include in your article using the “5Ws and 1H” question words: who, what, when, where, why and how.
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Decide on two people to interview. Who is attending the event? Who is organising the event? Then, ask them for a time to meet. Prepare two questions that you want to ask each interviewee. When you meet them, record their answers so you can write down their quotes later. Ask for their permission to record their answers.
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At the event, take photos to go with your article. Ask people for their permission before you include them in your pictures.
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Write your news article. Start by introducing the event. Answer the “5Ws and 1H” questions you brainstormed in Step 1. Include quotes from your interviewees, and write what they were doing at the event.
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Check your article one more time. Then, share it with your friends and family! You can even send it to us at [email protected] to get your story published.
