Fact-Checking Social Media: How To Avoid Being Hoaxed
While social media like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs can provide invaluable information about current events, these media can also contribute to the dissemination of rumors and inaccurate stories. As many news organizations pressure their reporters to get the story first, this may lead to relying on unverified reports taken from social media sites. But how do we know when something someone tweeted or posted to their blog is accurate? This workshop will explore some famous (and infamous) media hoaxes and internet rumors of the past several years, and propose some strategies for determining whether you should "forward this to everyone you know."
Presenter: Donna Halper
Media historian, social historian, author of 4 books and many articles for both scholarly and mass-appeal publications. 30+ years in broadcasting and print journalism. Also do fact-checking and free-lance writing for encyclopedias, magazines, and popular culture publications. Most recent 3 books: "Invisible Stars-- A Social History of Women in American Broadcasting" (2001), "Icons of Talk: The Media Mouths That Made America" (2008) and "Boston Radio 1920-2011" (2011).
Location: Wolfard 202
Workshop Session: Morning Session (10:30 - 12 noon)