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Fake news, propaganda, and plain old lies : how to find trustworthy information in the digital age
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2018
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Publishers Weekly Review
Barclay, a deputy University Librarian at University of California, Merced, offers a slim guide on how to separate factual information from fake news. He offers basic methods for evaluating information, such as determining whether the source for a news story is identified, and whether a so-called expert has the relevant credentials to provide an informed opinion. There's also a quick introduction to logical fallacies, with short definitions of concepts like confirmation bias and moral equivalence. The best parts of the book deal directly with web-related topics. His chapter on fake news provides a clear and succinct overview of the not-so-new phenomenon and the factors that have contributed to its recent proliferation (e.g., information overload, search engine optimization, and political bots). And his evaluation (and endorsement) of Wikipedia as a viable of information source is spot-on. Toward the end, the book shifts to more advanced topics (statistical models, scholarly information) that will be less useful to lay readers. Though Barclay intends this work for "anyone who cares about the trustworthiness of the information they encounter," its scope will make it most useful as part of college coursework . (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Fake news is as old as the world itself, but the digital age ensures that the spread of misinformation is quicker and more ubiquitous. As a librarian, Barclay has witnessed the explosion of information as it moved from print to the digital realm, and he guides readers to make better decisions about information that is credible and reliable. He covers some familiar ground with logical fallacies and techniques of persuasion and intimidation (what Barclay calls tricks of the trade). The callout section on the Dunning-Kruger effect (inadvertently) explains much of what's happening in America's political climate; readers will find it chilling. Additionally helpful are chapters devoted to finding and evaluating scholarly information and a list of helpful resources turns out there are a lot more options than just Snopes.com. Librarians may find this a useful resource, but it should be read by anyone who wants to better understand fake news and to better discern its presence and defend oneself against it. Barclay addresses this timely topic in a readable manner, free from jargon.--Curbow, Joan Copyright 2018 Booklist
Summary
Are you overwhelmed at the amount, contradictions, and craziness of all the information coming at you in this age of social media and twenty-four-hour news cycles?



Fake News, Propaganda, and Plain Old Lies will show you how to identify deceptive information as well as how to seek out the most trustworthy information in order to inform decision making in your personal, academic, professional, and civic lives.



* Learn how to identify the alarm bells that signal untrustworthy information.

* Understand how to tell when statistics can be trusted and when they are being used to deceive.

* Inoculate yourself against the logical fallacies that can mislead even the brightest among us.



Donald A. Barclay, a career librarian who has spent decades teaching university students to become information literate scholars and citizens, takes an objective, non-partisan approach to the complex and nuanced topic of sorting deceptive information from trustworthy information.
Table of Contents
Prefacep. ix
Acknowledgmentsp. xv
1Credible Information: Why It Matters, What Are Its Limitationsp. 1
2Fake News as Phenomenon: (Almost) Nothing New under the Sunp. 29
3Tricks of the Trade: Techniques That Lower Your Information Guardp. 57
4Logical Fallacies: More Tools of Deceptionp. 91
5Evaluating an Information Source: Nine Essential Questions Everyone Should Askp. 101
6Power in Numbers: Negotiating the Statistics Minefieldp. 117
7Scholarly Information: Identifying, Evaluating, and Understanding Itp. 147
8Help Is Where You Find It: Resources for Evaluating Informationp. 181
Final Thoughtsp. 195
Notesp. 199
Indexp. 213
About the Authorp. 227
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