Sometimes people share fake news even when they know it is untrue. Thinking about the ethics of sharing fake news can decrease the intention to share what you know isn't true. My latest for @psychologytoday.com
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulte...
📊 A recent analysis found that Google AI summaries are accurate 91% of the time, which might sound fine at first.
🤔 But there are 5 trillion searches a year, meaning there are hundreds of thousands of inaccurate summaries every minute.
We cover this + more in The Sift ⤵️
2/ Educators: Get more resources for teaching about press freedom: newslit.org/press-freedom/
#PressFreedom
#AcademicSky
1/ Are inaccurate statements protected by the #FirstAmendment? How does the term "actual malice" relate to press freedom? Today, we dive into the landmark 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan & the precedent it set for news outlets facing accusations of libel & defamation.
2/ Says chemistry teacher Supriya Moore of media literacy: "I live in this little silo where I just teach science, but I don’t know if it’s part of the curriculum.
"... What if my students are never exposed to this, & they graduate high school without media literacy?”
#NewsLiteracy
#EdTech
1/ “Your #MediaLiteracy is tied to your historical thinking & analysis skills. Making that connection more explicit for students & taking these skills outside the classroom & into your phone that you carry at all times is important." - History teacher Bonnie Belshe
#EduSky
#SSchat
Teen safety poster with six tips for using AI and social media. Includes prioritizing in-person relationships, watching for misinformation, being mindful of data collection, understanding AI as a learning tool, managing screen time, and discussing AI and social media. Each tip has two columns: one explains the reality, the other provides ways to help. Icons illustrate each point. The tone is informative and supportive.
1 - Prioritize in-person relationships
2 - Watch out for misinfo
3 - Be mindful of data collection
👀 Check out & download our teen safety infographic, created with the American Psychological Association, which has 6 tips for teens for using AI + social media.
📥 go.newslit.org/TeenSafetyTips
This video is spreading across X in posts falsely claiming it captures the United States surging troops to the Middle East amid a two-week ceasefire with Iran.
The clip actually shows a 2023 homecoming flyover conducted at a US Marines air base in California.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
“If you’re producing local journalism, we want to bring audiences to your doorstep, and that’s really what Local News Day is all about.”
www.niemanlab.org/2026/04/more...
2/ Learn more about the lecture @caulfieldtim.bsky.social gave about the real-world effects of falsehoods + our suggested discussion questions for the classroom in The Sift newsletter.
Read & subscribe: go.newslit.org/Sift6April2026
#EdTech
#EduSky
1/ Speaking about the #misinformation crisis, @caulfieldtim.bsky.social said, “The first thing we need to do is teach critical thinking skills. We should start teaching critical thinking skills in kindergarten & continue teaching them throughout grade school, high school, & university."
A map pin surrounds the words "Start local. Today is Local News Day!" Below it to the right is the logo for Local News Day, which has stacked words, with a map pin replacing the O in "Local."
It’s here! Today is Local News Day! Today is the day when we can come together and share our support for local news and information with our friends and neighbors. Visit localnewsday.org to find trusted local news where you live, and share with us how you’re celebrating Local News Day! #localnewsday
A post reads, “THE TRUTH WILL GIVE YOU FREE” and features an image that appears to show the Artemis II astronauts filming part of their mission against a green screen. The News Literacy Project has added a label that says “NOT STAGED.”
❌ NO: This is not a legit photo of the #ArtemisII astronauts faking their lunar mission by filming it on a green screen.
✔️ The image is AI-generated & was created by someone unaffiliated with NASA.
🔗 Read our post for tips to share with those who fall for such fakes: go.newslit.org/ArtemisII
There are thousands of cool photos & videos of #ArtemisII, but that doesn't mean the historic mission is immune from conspiratorial thinking.
Some have claimed it was AI, part of a growing trend of dismissing real footage as fake.
Educators, has this been an issue in your classroom? Let us know.
✨ Parents & family members: Join NLP's @thequickness.bsky.social on April 30 at the Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival!
ℹ️ At this FREE, in-person event, learn how to grow kids' #MediaLiteracy skills with tools for smarter scrolling & safer sharing. Learn more & register below.
A college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons
apnews.com/article/type...
A post reads, “Man accidentally found the ‘ranch hidden valley’ logo in real life and didn’t even know it” and includes a video of a picturesque valley next to an image of a bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing. The News Literacy Project added a label that says “FALSE.”
❌ NO: The label shown on this bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch is not genuine.
✔️ YES: It was digitally altered in a viral video to resemble the bottle's logo.
💡 When we want something to be true, we are less inclined to investigate & check the facts.
🔗 RumorGuard post: go.newslit.org/HiddenValley
There is a lot of misinformation still circulating about the rescue of the crew from the US fighter jet shot down over Iran.
This clip being misrepresented, for example, is footage of a military training exercise in California in 2024.
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....
How the Spanish-language news influencer Carlos Eduardo Espina reaches millions of followers. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
When the @nytimes.com recently dropped a freelance writer who had used #AI, it raised the question: What role, if any, should AI play in journalism?
Also in this week's edition of The Sift:
- Health misinfo fueled by celeb influencers
- Press freedom concerns across the globe
Read & subscribe ⤵️
Graphic with a red background. Text reads: 'Question One: The First Amendment doesn't protect students while they're in school.' Below, it states 'False' in a red circle. Further text explains the Tinker v. Des Moines case, affirming students' First Amendment rights in school. News Literacy Project logo at the bottom.
Question about government favoring one religion with the answer "False" highlighted. Text explains First Amendment prohibits this, noting separation of church and state.
Text graphic titled "Question Three" about the legality of recording in public. Main text confirms it's allowed under the First Amendment with limitations. The word "True" is highlighted on a green background. Bottom section cites restrictions like keeping distance from law enforcement and not obstructing officers. Background color is dark red.
Purple graphic with text "Get free resources to teach about press freedom." Features a laptop with "Daily Do Now" on screen. Website: newslit.org/press-freedom.
2/ See the images below for answers to our quiz ⤵️
➕ Find quick, classroom-ready entry points like bell ringers & short activities + deeper lessons that can anchor a full class period here: newslit.org/press-freedom/
#PressFreedom
Image promoting a 'First Amendment Pop Quiz' featuring photographers, an 'On Air' sign, and prompts to test knowledge, with a purple grid background.
Red background with text asking if the First Amendment doesn't protect students in school, featuring "True" and "False" buttons.
Quiz question on a reddish-brown background: The government can favor one religion over another." Options: "True" and "False."
Red background quiz card with the Third Question: "Using your phone to record in public is allowed under the First Amendment." Options: "True" or "False".
1/💡 How well do you know the #FirstAmendment? Tap through for questions & check the answers in the thread below.
📰 This month, we're providing resources for educators to address the role of a free press in society.
📌 Bookmark our press freedom hub: newslit.org/press-freedom/
Fact Check: Image Does NOT Show American F-15 Crew Member After Rescue From Iran -- It's AI-Generated
"I started the year by hanging news literacy infographics in the library & around the building to promote curiosity & discussion."
Learn about all the interactive ways Tracy Raasch, a library media specialist in Milwaukee, brings fun news literacy lessons to her school ⤵️
#TLsky
#EdTech
What's a day, or two, like in the life of a @chicagotribune.com political reporter? From covering city council meetings to prepping stories & making changes based on breaking developments, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social takes us behind the scenes of his fast-paced job reporting on #Chicago politics ⤵️
What's a day, or two, like in the life of a @chicagotribune.com political reporter? From covering city council meetings to prepping stories & making changes based on breaking developments, @jake-sheridan.bsky.social takes us behind the scenes of his fast-paced job reporting on #Chicago politics ⤵️
📚 Tomorrow is #SchoolLibrarianDay, but we should celebrate these change-makers on the frontlines of teaching news literacy 365/24/7!
See below for just two of so, so many stories worth highlighting.
✨ Jamie Gregory: bit.ly/JamieGregory
✨ Lindsay Downs: bit.ly/EducatorAwar...
Poynter found more than 70 stories dating back to October that included reporting, writing and photography from local journalists without attribution. www.poynter.org/ethics-trust...
"Don't let #AI technology undermine your willingness to trust anything you see & hear." - NLP's @hannahcov.bsky.social
Adds Hannah in this @en.afp.com article: "That's what bad actors want: for people to think that everything can be faked, so they can't trust anything."
#FactCheckingDay
A post reads, “Breaking News: Tensions Peak in the Strait of Hormuz :rotating_light:Iran has shocked the world by seizing an American vessel. The U.S. attempt has failed! Iran’s direct message: The Strait of Hormuz is not for America” and features a video of a large ship. The News Literacy Project has added a label that says “FALSE.”
❌ NO: This video does not show a U.S. tanker being captured by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.
✔️ It's from 2019 & shows a British-flagged oil tanker held by Iran for 71 days for alleged marine violations.
⚠️ False context is a common tactic to spread misinformation.
🔗 go.newslit.org/TankerFalseh...