In order to complete this assignment, you will read one article and watch a very short TED Talk. For each text, you have a series of questions. STEP 1: Read “We Tracked Down a Fake News Creator in the

In order to complete this assignment, you will read one article and watch a very short TED Talk. For each text, you have a series of questions.

STEP 1: Read “We Tracked Down a Fake News Creator in the Suburbs(Links to an external site.),” by Laura Sydell. (Note, you can also listen to the story by pushing play)

1. Why did Jestin Coler start writing fake news, according to him?
2. The article mentions one example of a law in Colorado that was passed based on some fake news stories that Coler wrote. Explain what he wrote and what law was passed as a result. What does this show about the relationship between public opinion and the laws we pass?
3. According to Coler, did Google’s ban on advertisements (which Google put in place in order to try to combat fake news) hurt him financially or prevent him from writing fake news? Explain.
4. According to Coler, fake news will not be going away anytime soon. What explanation does he give for why it will only increase? What does he say about what fake news will look like in the future?
5. According to Coler, how can we combat fake news?

STEP 2: “How Fake News Does Real Harm” by Stephanie Busari

1. Before you watch the video, Google Boko Haram. In just a short sentence or two, what is Boko Haram?
2. Watch "How Fake News Does Real Harm"(Links to an external site.) by Stephanie Busari.
3. The speaker briefly mentions that some people don't believe the girls were kidnapped. Briefly explain what her point is here. Why don't some people believe the girls were kidnapped?
4. What does Busari mean when she says she "firmly believes that the hoax narrative caused the delay in the girl's return"? Explain. Connect your understanding here to your answer to #2 in Step 1 above.
5. What does Busari say we must do to fight fake news? Listen carefully to the last couple of minutes of the Talk. How can you connect her suggestions to Coler’s (in #5 of Step 1).

STEP 3:

In this blog assignment you are setting out to learn something new and you will have to set out to find sources that help you understand a complex topic. After engaging with the two texts above, why do you think it's important to find *reliable* sources?