1100 ENG Module 2 Discussion: The Real or Fake News Game
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ENG1100MOD2RealorFakeNewsGameINFO.pptx
Real or Fake News:
A self-paced “game” where you can guess whether each slide is real or fake news and check your answers.
Instructions
Read
Read the title, text, and source from the following articles.
Analyze
Analyze the language and source to decide in the article is real or fake.
Scroll or click
Scroll or click to the next slide for an answer and explanation.
#1 Article
Title:
“Woman rescued after falling in toilet while trying to retrieve phone”
Text:
“A woman who accidentally dropped her cellphone into the hole of an outhouse in a national forest and fell in while trying to retrieve it had to be rescued by firefighters in Washington state.”
Source:
NBC News
REAL NEWS
While the title sounds outrageous, the text sounds more reasonable.
NBC is known to be a reliable source.
#2 Article
Title:
“After Chanting All Night, Crowd of Worshippers Still Can't Get Moloch to Answer Them”
Text:
“’We've chanted, and danced, and even cut ourselves with knives, but still, Moloch is silent,’ said protest leader and male feminist Skeeve Rapenburg.”
Source:
The Babylon Bee
FAKE NEWS
The language indicates that this article is likely satire, and therefore untrue.
The source is known for its satirical articles and is not a reliable source of news.
#3 Article
Title:
“Experts Believe That Jesus May Have Used Cannabis Oil to Perform His Miracles”
Text:
“Jesus and his apostles might have used cannabis oil to perform his healing miracles — a controversial theory that is being championed by a number of experts.”
Source:
All That’s Interesting.com
REAL NEWS
Even though the source may not be well known, the website presents lesser-known historical articles.
The use of qualified statements such as “believe” and “might” lend credibility to the article. Note that a lack of qualifiers (if an article states that something is always or never the case) can be an indicator that a report is not factually true.
#4 Article
Title:
“Woman left with ‘shark hand’ after doctors sew it inside stomach during surgery”
Text:
“Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the ER. A UK woman’s hand was left looking like a cartoon shark head after doctors sewed the appendage inside her stomach to fight a vicious infection.”
Source:
New York Post
REAL NEWS
Even though this article comes from a well-known tabloid the article contains many clarifying photos of the incident experienced by the subject of the article.
Likewise, the shocking title is followed by a detailed and factual account of the medical procedure.
The article can also be verified on many other sources.
#5 Article
Title:
“Nation Forced to Seek Human Rights from Back-Alley Supreme Court”
Text:
“In the wake of a leaked draft of a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, potentially leading to abortion becoming illegal in many states, the nation was reportedly forced Tuesday to seek human rights from a back-alley Supreme Court.”
Source:
The Onion
FAKE NEWS
The unlikely nature of the premise of the article indicates that it may not be true.
Also, The Onion is known for publishing satirical articles, so knowledge of the source can help a person deduce that the news is fake.
#6 Article
Title:
“Sky’s The Limit for Travel-Crazy Congress!”
Text:
“A Bombshell investigation reveals millionaire members of Congress are squandering hard-working taxpayers’ money on ‘official’ foreign travel junkets, which appear to be vacations in disguise!”
Source:
The National Enquirer
FAKE NEWS
Biased language can give away fake news which this article appears to have.
The article lacks verifiable evidence.
Finally, the article comes from an unreliable tabloid source.
#7 Article
Title:
“Manager of DOD Aerospace Threat Program: ‘UFOs are Real’”
Text: “Something extraordinary was revealed today. Former high-level officials and scientists with deep black experience who have always remained in the shadows came forward on one platform.”
Source:
Huffington Post
REAL NEWS (sort of)
Although news about UFOs usually indicates fake news, this report is real.
Other sources confirm that the U.S. Department of Defense did report on UFOs.
The source is generally trustworthy, as well.
However, other scientists question the veracity of the Department of Defense report.
#8 Article
Title:
“How Star Trek's Jeri Ryan's Divorce Got Obama Elected:
Text:
“In 2004, you see, when Obama ran to become the senator from Illinois, his opponent was Jeri Ryan's ex-husband Jack. We don't know which of the two would have won because Jack dropped out, after the Tribune shared a document Jeri had filed during the pair's divorce.”
Source:
Cracked
FAKE NEWS
The sensational and biased nature of the language indicates that the article may not be true.
Likewise, the source does not provide reliable news.
#9 Article
Title:
“World’s first non-toxic workplace discovered”
Text:
“After following a series of arcane clues and paddling down a river in a canoe, explorers have finally found an office which is not simmering with passive-aggressive hostility or being run by heartless managers.”
Source:
The Daily Mash
FAKE NEWS
The language reveals both hyperbole and sarcasm which indicates the report is not truthful.
The source is known for satire rather than real news.
#10 Article
Title:
“Oklahoma panel says candidate can’t be called ‘The Patriot’”
Text:
“A Republican lawmaker who wanted to refer to himself as “The Patriot” on the ballot can’t use that nickname, the Oklahoma Election Board has ruled.”
Source:
AP News
REAL NEWS
Even though the title appears to be somewhat “sensational,” the text reveals a more realistic description of the event.
The report describes an actual event which can be corroborated from other sources.
The source is extremely reliable.
