NEWSpiracy Tutor Handbook EN

https://newspiracy.eu The project "NEWSpiracy" is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. The content of NEWSpiracy is the sole responsibility of the project partners and neither the European Commission nor the Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE) is responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Project Number: 2022-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000089608 Ways of acting face the fake news For limiting the spread of fake news, it is important to promote media literacy, critical thinking, and fact-checking skills (Filak, 2022). That includes understanding of own socail media searching practices and educating others on how to identify fake news and seek out reliable sources of information. To identify fake news is important because it can undermine public trust in important institutions, such as the media, government, and scientific community. Fake news often relies on emotional appeals and simple explanations for complex problems, leading people to doubt the credibility of legitimate sources of information. This can influence social behavior and lead to serious consequences. For example, fake news concerning health as we experienced during Covid – 19 pandemic can cause panic and confusion, leading people to take unnecessary risks or make poor decisions, avoid effective treatments, or engage in risky behaviors. Fake news about election candidates or policies can swing public opinion and influence the outcome of elections. By raising awareness and teaching people to analyze and evaluate information critically, teachers can help to understand the difference between reliable and unreliable sources of information and what actions could be taken to avoid the spreading of fake news. By confronting false narratives, we can help to reduce the influence of manipulation and avoid the spread of fake – news and conspiracy theories. Social and institutional level At the social level, fake news can have a significant impact on society by influencing public opinion and social actions (Thompson et al. 2022). Here are some principles that can be used to combat fake news in society: ● Be a responsible sharer and use social media responsibly. ● Engage in constructive dialogue and foster critical thinking. ● Promote media literacy and fact-checking tools. At the institutional level, it is important to think about educating employees and students to be aware and identify fake news and not spread them inside the organization, and not threaten the reputation of the organization. It is also essential to educate employees so that they can analyze the news, being able to determine who is the author of the news, and who owns the media. Also, educational institutions can play an important role in fighting fake news by teaching students critical thinking skills and media literacy. Here are the main actions that educational institutions can promote: ● Teach media literacy and encourage critical thinking. ● Promote fact-checking and provide access to reliable sources. Individual level Vincent F. Filak (2022), an associate professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and an expert in media law, ethics, and fake news suggests 10 practical steps on how individuals can act on facing fake news: ● Look out for strange or unfamiliar URLs, such as ends with in.com.co