In 2017, the editors of Oxford Dictionaries listed the term 'fake news' as the word of the year. Years later, these fake news, also called hoaxes and characterized because they follow a structure and elements similar to that of truthful information, continue to spread on the Internet and social networks. One of the latest examples has occurred in Valencia after DANA, with numerous users – including well-known journalists – providing news that was later confirmed to be false but that, at that time, spread at high speed. It is not strange, since according to a study published in the journal Science carried out by members of the social network Twitter (now than the real news. Artificial intelligence also plays an important role in the proliferation (or not) of fake news. This has been confirmed by a study carried out by Ipsos, 'Fake news in the age of AI', which concludes that in Spain 8 out of 10 people believe that AI makes it even easier to create fake news or images in a very realistic way. . And taking into account that students use social networks daily and are becoming (increasingly) familiar with the use of AI, it is necessary for both teachers and families to share with them the appropriate resources to be able to detect them.
The recommendations
The rapid spread of fake news is due, in part, to the continuous bombardment of information that students receive through social networks, but also from other sources, and to a headline that catches their attention. For this reason, it is quickly shared without verifying whether the news comes from a reliable media outlet. This is what Jorge Calvo, a teacher and trainer of Educational Technology, believes, who focuses on Digital Education and training students to help them identify this type of content.
So that students know how to detect when they are faced with fake news, he suggests the following recommendations: Teach what a 'reliable source' is. Read beyond the headline to the end of the article. Check the publication date and check if it is outdated information. Question the intention of said information, causing them to think about whether the article is merely informative or seeks to persuade the reader. Journalist David Alandete, author of the book 'Fake News: the new weapon of mass destruction' (Deusto), agrees with these recommendations when it comes to capturing 'fake news': the information must come through legitimate channels and be analyzed critically. Furthermore, it highlights intellectual curiosity as the best way for students to combat this type of information.
Experiences and resources that help teachers
There are numerous teachers who, concerned about this issue, are already working on it in the classroom. An example is the 'Detectives against disinformation' project; an initiative by Professor Esteban Santana that led his Primary students to design several actions to raise awareness and combat information hoaxes based on reflection and critical thinking. Another example is that of teacher Francesc Xavier Beneyto Ibáñez, who so that the students of the Escolapias Gandía center could learn to identify fake news, created one related to the singer Rosalía and her supposed entry into the RAE. In this way, they delved into the dissemination and impact that 'fake news' has on society.
On the other hand, there are various tools that teachers can use so that students can recognize 'fake news'. Calvo also recommends that when in doubt they go to international websites such as FactCheck.org, which verifies political information from the United States. For its part, in Spain there are media outlets dedicated to locating 'fake news' to deny them, such as Maldita.es, Newtral or VerificaRTVE.