Learn to recognize fake news

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/01/2019 (2714 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s fair to say that Trevor Lockhart is adept at keeping up with the times.

The branch head at Louis Riel Library in St. Vital, Lockhart will be among the presenters on the second day of DisruptED on Feb. 1 at RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg. The two-day conference is aimed at students, educators, and entrepreneurs, among others. 

      
Lockhart, who has worked at libraries for the last 25 years, will be among the speakers taking part in the panel titled Fake News — From Theory to Solutions, which is presented by Library and Archives Canada, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Guy Berthiaume, and also includes Kevin Chan, Michele Austin, and Tim Fontaine.

He was asked to be on the panel to “look at fake news, and how we can fight it practically.”

 
“From a library’s perspective, we want to make sure we provide accurate information for our users,” Lockhart said. “Since the last presidential election in the U.S. in 2016, the concept of fake news is on everyone’s radar.”

Lockhart’s professional interests include educating the community about digital media literacy, and libraries and social media, and along with fellow librarian Stephanie Graham, Lockhart is the creator of Winnipeg Public Library’s Media Literacy and ‘Spotting Fake News’ Information Guide, which he says can be used as a filter, in some ways.

“Think of a tweet or Facebook page. Rather than take it for face value, try to take steps to recognize false contexts,” he said.

Referring to eight guidelines to spotting fake news produced by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Lockhart said considering the source, checking the author, checking the date, checking one’s biases, reading beyond the headline, checking supporting sources, questioning if it’s a joke, and asking an expert are all ways to help determine if an item is potentially fake.

He said the upcoming conference is an important source of information and enlightenment for inquiring minds.

“It’s for people wanting to look at a changing industry who want to be well-informed about information, and make good decisions. It’s also intended to make young people think about things, and ensure they’re not just spoon-fed information, which can be dangerous,” Lockhart said.

“Things are moving so fast now, and children are developing differently. Before the internet and social media, it was OK to spend an afternoon with a book, but now the speed of things and people’s attention spans are so different. How do you find the good stuff in a sea of noise?”

The panel featuring Lockhart will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 1. Go online at www.educationdisrupted.ca for more information.