How many times have you skipped an internet source because it's behind a paywall?
If you were behind a fake news site or a disinformation campaign, wouldn't the lack of a paywall make it easier to achieve your goal of influencing people for your own ends?
It's important to keep in mind that there are good sources of free information (.gov or .edu websites, open access scholarly articles) and bad sources of free information (conspiracy theorists and fake news websites, although these sources won't identify themselves as such).
It's up to you to use your information literacy skills and be discerning! The videos and games on this page will teach you how false information spreads and to evaluate information sources.
Media smart : lessons, tips and strategies for librarians, classroom instructors and other information professionals
by
Information has become one of the most crucial commodities in today's world. From multinational corporations to single individuals, we all make critical decisions based on the information available to us. However, modern ease of access to information does not often guarantee access to good information. In this digital age, where facts can be easily manipulated to align with political, social or monetary aims, media literacy has become an essential skill. Media Smart: Lessons, Tips and Strategies for Librarians, Classroom Instructors and other Information Professionals is an invaluable toolkit for navigating the fraught information landscape. From the history of media manipulation to practical applications of media literacy, this book will offer a thorough grounding in teaching students to defend themselves from mis-and dis-information. It discusses how technology affects the information we receive, offers a brief look at the psychology behind how we process information, describes the various means by which media can be manipulated and provides tips about how to recognize and avoid false or misleading information. Featuring numerous classroom exercises and case studies specific to each aspect of media manipulation, this book is essential reading for students and educators in communications, media and information literacy as well as librarians and anyone interested in developing their media literacy skills.
AI hallucinations have shown up as fake citations in White House reports, recommendations for fake books in prominent newspapers, and Google recommendations for using glue on pizza. This last example might be seen as humorous, but seeing hallucinations showing up in trusted information sources is concerning.
Information literacy skills are essential for navigating an AI-influenced world of information.