WESTFIELD-Can you spot fake news?
On Sept. 28, Dr. Kyle Moody, assistant professor, Communications Media Department, Fitchburg State University, will present an informative lecture on the proliferation of fake news in our society. The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum.
The lecture, “Getting to the Truth about Fake News in the Era of President Trump,” starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Lang Auditorium of the Athenaeum.
Dr. Kyle Moody, assistant professor, Communications Media Department, Fitchburg State University, will present “Getting to the Truth about Fake News in the Era of President Trump” on Sept. 28 at the Westfield Athenaeum.
In an interview, Moody noted that he first noticed the “proliferation of fake news” with the announcement of Donald Trump’s candidacy in 2015.
“More people were sharing stories from websites that had no stake in real journalism, largely because of our collective fascination with Trump as a candidate and now as our president,” said Moody.
Moody added that a “hunger” for news relating to Trump – and his Democratic Party opponent Hillary Clinton – created an industry where the American news consumer wanted more information than they could find on credible websites, allowing for the rise of these sites.
“Often these sites also functioned as opinion-validation for their respective readers, creating a fake news industry where the same false story could be shared across multiple political lines with no side growing wise to its existence,” he said.
Moody said that consumers should begin to look closely at details of a news story for information, such as the name and URL of the site, whether the author has a bio and where the site is hosted.
“Consumers should also begin to use fact-checkers to look at claims made by suspicious stories,” he said, noting he would be giving examples during his presentation and providing journal articles on the culture of fake news.
Daniel Paquette, director, Westfield Athenaeum, echoed those sentiments.
“Libraries are still a vital resource in the community, especially when it comes to combating fake news,” said Paquette. “Librarians are trained information professionals, skilled in not only finding information, but determining the veracity and authenticity of the information. I think that it is interesting that millennials, those that have pretty much lived their entire lives with the Internet, may understand the pitfalls of fake news and use the library more than any other generation to find reliable information.”
Paquette thanked the Friends of the Westfield Athenaeum for sponsoring the lecture, noting the group is an “essential piece” of the success of the Athenaeum.
“Beyond the monetary support, the Friends also help to disseminate information and promote our services in the community, to make sure that residents know that our library is so much more than just books,” said Paquette.
Moody concurred.
“Libraries will continue to be important for many reasons, not the least of which is providing persons with access to information,” said Moody. “We may think everybody has access to smartphone technology or a personal computer, but that isn’t the case, so libraries serve an important function of helping to create more literate and media-savvy patrons and citizens.”
Both Paquette and Moody note that libraries provide a central hub for questioning information and creating places for debate and discussion.
“Libraries continue to innovate and adapt to the needs of the community and continue to provide a space for the residents to connect, learn, and share,” said Paquette.
Moody agreed.
“Libraries can act as meeting places for communities that are separated by geography and technology,” said Moody. “A central hub for a population is going to be very important for all communities going forward.”
Moody encourages area residents to join the discussion of fake news on Sept. 28.
“Anybody who consumes news and information needs to come to this talk so we can address the nature of the rhetoric of fake news, from its legitimate dangers to our democracy, to the reasons why certain people label information ‘fake news,’” said Moody.
Moody added that by putting the information in context, consumers can better understand how to consume information and how to fight fake news together.
“Attendees of the talk can help us all make a better society by fighting fake news on all sides of the political spectrum,” said Moody. “This will help us find common ground as a people.”
For more information or to register for the program, visit www.westath.org or call (413) 568-7833, ext. 3.
