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Create a presentation using PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, or another presentation software that answers the following questions with visual aids: 1 What are the main types of mis- and dis-information? Include screenshots or visual examples. Define each type of mis- and dis-information. 2 What strategies can you use to identify these types of mis- and dis-information? Provide at least two strategies. Purpose To familiarize you with presentation platforms like Google Slides, Office365 PowerPoint, Prezi, and others. To help you explain the visual nature and definition of the main types of misinformation and how to identify them. Criteria Up to this point we have spent a fair amount of time exploring an increase in accessible media a decrease in regulation of media an increase of sharing partisan viewpoints an increase in vulnerability to foreign misinformation. These are all key factors that have contributed to the phenomenon of fake news. In this section we will explore the various interpretations of the term, arrive at a definition, and provide strategies for identifying and debunking fake news. Contrary to President Trumps assertion that he coined the term (CNN Business, 2017), the moniker fake news has been in circulation since at least 1890 or earlier, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Back then, fake news was submitting a story about finding a mermaid (A Live Mermaid and No Mistake, 1838). It was also it was used by newspapers and magazines to boast about their own journalistic standards and attack those of their rivals (Mohr, 2019). Lets start with a few definitions for some terms that we will be exploring throughout this section. Misinformation: Wrong or misleading information. The action of misinforming someone; the condition of being misinformed (Oxford English Dictionary, 2002) Disinformation: The dissemination of deliberately false information, esp. when supplied by a government or its agent to a foreign power or to the media, with the intention of influencing the policies or opinions of those who receive it; false information so supplied (Oxford English Dictionary, 1989) Fake News: news that conveys or incorporates false, fabricated, or deliberately misleading information, or that is characterized as or accused of doing so(Oxford English Dictionary, 2019). The Origin of “Fake News’ A new sub-entry of the term fake news in the Oxford English Dictionary traces the history of fake news back to at least 1890, as awareness of the amount of false or fabricated news stories sent to newspapers was on the rise (three years later, it was reported in the Toronto Mail, legislators in Connecticut introduced a bill providing for the punishment of anyone submitting sensational animal stories and other fabricated exclusives to local or national newspapers in the hope of earning an easy $5 or $1o fee). These days, of course, the phrase is more likely to be used to refer to misleading storiesespecially those designed to serve a particular political or ideological purposecirculated on social media and elsewhere online, or simply to brand any unflattering or critical media coverage as inaccurate, untrustworthy, or unduly partisan…. (Dent, 2019) Today, fake news is a term that has been co-opted by American political leaders to describe any misleading stories that are either bias in serving a political ideology. It is frequently being used to describe any media critical of a political agenda, politician, or even performance in office. In this way, fake news has become a weapon to delegitimize or demonize any media coverage as wrong, untrustworthy, and hyper-partisan. The term becomes less and less clear and encompasses media that spans the broadcast and social media spectrum. Is it fake news if a journalist makes a mistake in their article? Is it fake news if you share a meme making fun of a quote that the President never said? Is it fake news if a Southern California resident posts a conspiracy-theory that some wildfires were set on purpose? Is it fake news if Russian trolls create fake accounts that post hyper partisan memes? Media analysts at Issues & Controversies (2020) contend that type of posts that Russian trolls circulated was fake news because the authors had the intent of suppressing voter turnout, exacerbating political divisions, and swaying American voters to vote for a particular presidential candidate. Part of their litmus test in qualifying something as fake news is to ascertain the intent of the creator. It is important to note that it is difficult to ascertain the intent of a creator – was there an explicit attempt to harm a public system or persons? Was the content a joke, such as satire? Was it shared without a knowledge that it was fake? Not being able to clearly ascertain intent adds a layer of complexity to how we deal with fake news. Conservative pundits and politicians contend that even news reports that they feel have a left-leaning bias are fake news, claiming their aims to cast Republican politicians and current Presidents in unfavorable lights. These voices argue that the intent is to damage ones reputation and sway American voters. The viral nature of the phrase fake news makes it easy for any one or any party to adopt and define in the context of their ideologies, whether moral or political. In a series of webinars, members of the News Literacy Project suggested that the phrase be retired completely, and a new moniker take its place. A new definition with nuances may help the American people understand the multiple levels of misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and simple inaccuracies (News Literacy Project, 2020). We will continue with an understanding that fake news can be two things. First, it can be misinformation that is shared without a knowledge that the information is fake. Second, it can be disinformation that is intentionally shared to with malicious intent to exacerbate political divisions, delegitimize an organization/person for political advantage, or incite danger to public health and wellbeing.