Explains how the influences of dreamers, zealots, hucksters, and superstitious groups shaped America's tendency toward a rich fantasy life, citing the roles of individuals from P.T. Barnum to Donald Trump in perpetuating conspiracy theories, self-delusion, and magical thinking. "In this sweeping, eloquent history of America, one of our sharpest observers, Kurt Andersen, demonstrates that what's happening in our country today--this strange, post-truth,...

Describes the panic induced when listeners believed Orson Welles' radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" to be news of an alien invasion, discussing the context in which the broadcast was aired and why it was so convincing.

"When Sabrina disappears, an airman in the U.S. Air Force is drawn into a web of suppositions, wild theories, and outright lies. Sabrina depicts a modern world devoid of personal interaction and responsibility, where relationships are stripped of intimacy through glowing computer screens. An indictment of our modern state, Drnaso contemplates the dangers of a fake news climate."--

Using the new C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards, Fake News in the Global Citizens: Modern Media series explores the topic through the lenses of History, Geography, Civics, and Economics. Text and photos look at the history, basic philosophies, and geography of fake news in the media. As they read, students will develop questions about the text, and use evidence from a variety of sources in order to form conclusions. Data-focused backmatter...

"Fake news can lead to real consequences. Disinformation can damage the reputations of public figures and sway public opinion in alarming directions. This title contextualizes fake news by describing the evolution of false reporting from the moment the printing press began the age of mass media. It also examines the modern digitally interconnected world, where inaccurate information can spread quickly on social media before it can be challenged. Media-literate...

Analyzing trends in American disinformation and conspiracy, Rauch reaches back to the parallel eighteenth-century developments of liberal democracy and science to explain what he calls the "Constitution of Knowledge"--our social system for turning disagreement into truth. By explicating the Constitution of Knowledge and probing the war on reality, Rauch posits a defined understanding of truth and free inquiry, with discussion of how and why they should...

This insightful book explores the fake news phenomenon, helping students think critically about where their news comes from. The book also includes a table of contents, two infographics, informative sidebars, two "Consider This" special features, quiz questions, a glossary, additional resources, and an index. This Focus Readers title is at the Voyager level, aligned to reading levels of grades 5–6 and interest levels of grades 5–9.

"A guide for Christians about evaluating news sources and participating charitably in online communities"-- "Share if you love Jesus. Scroll past if you follow the devil. Most Christians have seen something asinine like this on Facebook and rightly dismissed it. But not every post on social media is so obviously absurd. As online spaces increase in importance, it is urgent that we as Christians consider how to love our neighbors on the internet-and...

This title explores journalistic and fact-checking standards, Constitutional protections, and real-world case studies, helping readers identify the mechanics, perpetrators, motives, and psychology of fake news. A final chapter explores methods for assessing and avoiding the spread of fake news.

It is more and more apparent that it is hard to tell the difference between real and fake news. If teachers flunk tests about it, how can they teach their students to understand what's what? Fake and real news items are thrown at us daily, on tv, on the internet, on the streets of our cities; everywhere we look and even when we don't think we're looking. Easy-to-understand text, simple infographics, quizzes, and lots of examples helps kids learn how...