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Plpp

Play the

Fake News Game

Bad News - Play the fake news game!

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Truth, Technology, and Civic Judgement

Christine Angel Danger

HCPS

USF Stavros Master Teacher Mentor

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1. Advertising (the biggest source)

Most platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat) earn the majority of their income from ads.

Targeted ads: They use data (age, interests, behavior, location) to show highly relevant ads.
Ad formats:

Sponsored posts in feeds
Stories and short video ads
Banner or display ads
Influencer/promoted content

Why it works: Advertisers pay more when ads are shown to the “right” audience.

2. Data & Analytics (indirect revenue)

They don’t usually sell your personal data directly, but they profit from it by:

Offering advertisers powerful targeting tools
Selling insights like audience trends and campaign performance
Improving ad effectiveness (which makes ads more valuable)

The goal is to transform your students from passive "parrots" who simply follow rules into active civic actors—or "News Detectives"—who question the systems they live in,

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Disinformation

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Days before a pivotal election in Slovakia to determine who would lead the country, a damning audio recording spread online in which one of the top candidates seemingly boasted about how he’d rigged the election.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, his voice could be heard on another recording talking about raising the cost of beer.

The recordings immediately went viral on social media, and the candidate, who is pro-NATO and aligned with Western interests, was defeated in September by an opponent who supported closer ties to Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While the number of votes swayed by the leaked audio remains uncertain, two things are now abundantly clear: The recordings were fake, created using artificial intelligence; and US officials see the episode in Europe as a frightening harbinger of the sort of interference the United States will likely experience during the 2024 presidential election.

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A fake recording of a candidate saying he’d rigged the election went viral. Experts say it’s only the beginning | CNN Politics

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Doxxing is the malicious publishing of private or sensitive information online. It begins in digital spaces, but it often escalates into severe real-world harm, including bullying, physical threats, psychological trauma, and financial ruin.

2024 “J.E.W.I.S.H. creatives and academics” doxxing incident (Australia)

When: February 8, 2024
What happened:�A private WhatsApp group of more than 600 Jewish creatives and academics in Australia was leaked (“doxxed”) by activists, exposing members’ names, jobs, and other identifying details. [en.wikipedia.org]
Why:�The leak was connected to disputes over the Gaza war and advocacy campaigns involving media and political pressure. [en.wikipedia.org]
Aftermath (including vandalism):

Many of the people whose information was exposed received threats and harassment. [everything...ined.today]
Reports note real‑world attacks on workplaces and property, including vandalism targeting individuals and businesses connected to those doxxed. [chiappettalegal.com]
The incident became serious enough that it contributed to legal changes in Australia on doxxing. [everything...ined.today]

🧭 Why this incident stands out

It involved hundreds of victims at once (mass doxxing).
It was tied to a major geopolitical conflict, which intensified reactions.
It crossed from online exposure into offline harm (threats, damage, harassment)—which is what you’re referring to with vandalism.

✅ Bottom line:�The most notable 2024 example of a doxxing conflict leading to vandalism and real‑world consequences was this Australia-based incident connected to the Israel–Hamas conflict, where leaked personal information triggered threats and attacks on property and workplaces.

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The “elephant and rider” metaphor (popularized by psychologist Jonathan Haidt) is a powerful way to understand both cognitive dissonance and self-deception.

The Metaphor: Elephant vs. Rider

Elephant = Automatic mind

Emotions
Intuitions
Habits
Gut reactions

Rider = Rational mind

Conscious reasoning
Logic
Justifications
Narratives about why we do things

The key idea:�The rider thinks it’s in control, but the elephant is actually steering most of the time.

How the Elephant & Rider Handle It

Step 1: The Elephant acts

You smoke because:

It feels good
You’re stressed
It’s habitual
The elephant made the decision first.

Step 2: The Rider explains

Instead of saying:

“I did this because I wanted to”

The rider says:

“It helps me relax.”
“I’ll quit later.”
“My grandma smoked and lived to 90.”

The rider does not control the elephant—it justifies it.

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Hidden Needs & Side Effects

Apps are designed to keep attention:

More scrolling
Less deep thinking

Discuss side effects:

Echo chambers
Cyberbullying

Use analogy: “Tech spreads like dye in water—it changes everything around it.”

An internet echo chamber is an online environment where people are mostly exposed to opinions and information that match their existing beliefs, while opposing views are minimized, ignored, or filtered out.

🔊 Simple definition

An echo chamber is like hearing your own voice bounce back to you—except it’s your ideas and beliefs being repeated and reinforced by others online.

🧠 How it works

Echo chambers form because of a mix of:

Algorithms�Social media platforms show you content similar to what you already like or engage with.
Personal choices�People follow, join, or interact with groups that share their views.
Social reinforcement�When everyone around you agrees, those ideas feel more correct and stronger.

🔍 Example

Imagine someone who believes a certain topic strongly:

They follow accounts that agree with them
They join forums with similar opinions
Posts they see mostly support their belief

Over time, they may:

Think their opinion is the only reasonable one
Become more extreme or confident
Distrust outside perspectives

⚠️ Why echo chambers can be risky

Distorted reality: You may miss important facts or alternative viewpoints
Polarization: Groups become more divided and less willing to compromise
Spread of misinformation: False ideas can circulate unchecked
Reduced critical thinking: Less exposure to disagreement means fewer challenges to your beliefs

✅ Are they always bad?

Not always. Echo chambers can:

Provide community and support (e.g., hobby groups, shared interests)
Help people feel understood and connected

The downside comes when they limit open-minded thinking or isolate people from reality.

🧭 How to avoid being stuck in one

Follow diverse sources of information
Read viewpoints you don’t agree with
Question what you see online
Check facts from reliable sources

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Algorithmic Justice League

Algorithmic Justice League

Algorithmic Justice League

Collective action can reshape systems

The hashtag #NotBuyingIt was started as a social‑media activism campaign to push back against sexist and stereotypical representations—especially in advertising and media.

📌 Why it was created

It was launched by the nonprofit The Representation Project (from the film Miss Representation). [therepproject.org], [mic.com]
The goal was to let people publicly call out ads and media that objectify women or reinforce harmful gender stereotypes. [mediatear....dpress.com]
By using the hashtag, people could signal they refuse to support (or “buy” from) companies that use sexist or harmful messaging. [mediatear....dpress.com]

📅 When it started

The hashtag began gaining traction around 2011–2012 and became especially visible during the Super Bowl, when many controversial ads air. [therepproject.org], [mic.com]

💡 What it was meant to do

Call out bad media: Users post examples of ads or content they find offensive or stereotypical. [buytheway....jclass.org]
Hold companies accountable: Large numbers of posts can pressure brands to apologize or change ads. [therepproject.org]
Encourage better representation: It’s paired with a positive tag (#MediaWeLike) to highlight good portrayals. [therepproject.org]

🧠 In simple terms

#NotBuyingIt = “We don’t agree with this message, and we won’t support it.”�It turned social media into a way for consumers to push back against advertising they felt was unfair or harmful.

📺 GoDaddy (Super Bowl)

Issue: Sexualized women used to sell products
Reaction: Accused of objectifying women
Impact: 7,500+ #NotBuyingIt tweets; ads later toned down

🚗 Mercedes-Benz & Carl’s Jr. (Super Bowl)

Issue: Suggestive female models in ads
Reaction: Reduced women to “eye candy”
Impact: Helped make #NotBuyingIt trend during Super Bowl

🌐 Fiat ad

Issue: Women compared to cars
Reaction: Seen as objectifying and dehumanizing
Impact: Spread widely online as a negative example

🎃 Party City costumes

Issue: Limited girls to “princess” or sexualized roles
Reaction: Reinforced stereotypes, sexualized young girls
Impact: Sparked national debate and pressure on the company

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Look for context.�

Widen your lens. Rather than just look at a picture itself, examine the caption posted along with it.

Are there any hashtags that give away how or why it was created?
Do the comments offer any clues?
Are there any details you can check in a news report?
Does the image make logical sense?

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Lateral Searching

Some of the traditional ways to Fact-Check may be cumbersome in today’s digital world. Melanie recommends LATERAL SEARCHING.

Here’s an example of lateral searching on a Teletubby hoax.

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Investigate the source.

�Take a closer look at the account that posted a given picture. Review the user’s handle and bio.
Does the account have a track record of credibility?
Does it own up to using AI?
Fabricated images are sometimes reposted without AI labels, even if the original had one.
You can use reverse image searches to help track down the original source.

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Educational Resources | Generation Skeptics

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(K-3) Be a News Detective!

What is news? Can you tell the difference between a fact, an opinion, an ad, and news? This engaging lesson introduces these important critical thinking skills to our youngest students.

Gr 3-6 The News War: Detectives of Truth

Students learn to become “truth detectives” by questioning online information, checking sources, and using simple strategies to decide what is real or fake.

Gr 6-12 The News War: Think like a Journalist and Verify like a Skeptic.

Students will differentiate between mis-, dis-, and malinformation. Through hands-on practice, they will learn to spot algorithmic echo chambers, practice “lateral reading,” and use prebunking to defend against digital manipulation. Download the Classroom Slides
Download the Student Response Sheet
Download the Lesson Plan
Download the Quiz and Answer Key

https://youtube.com/shorts/E9Lcx2j3-Y4?si=IW5I84uBmX1X9hNC

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Sites that get paid to do this leg work for you:

FACT CHECKING

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FACT CHECKING - Continued

OpenSecrets.org - Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

Poynter - founded the International Fact-Checking Network in 2015 and is the leading convener, teacher and community-builder for fact-checkers around the world.

Facticious - http://factitious.augamestudio.com/#/

OpenSources.co - document created by Melissa Zimdars, assistant professor of communication and media at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA because she saw her students referencing questionable sources, she created and shared this document with them of how to think about sources, as well as a list of misleading, satirical and fake sites.

TinEye - Search by image and find where that image appears onlineSearch by image and find where that image appears online

WhoWhatWhen -WhoWhatWhen is a database of key people and events from 1000 A.D. to the present. Create graphic timelines of periods in history and of the lives of individuals. - The database consists of famous people and famous events. People entries consist of the name, short description, which category they were famous for, and birth and death dates. No detailed biographical info is in this database, but this site will provide links to popular web search engines which will give you in depth information about each person or event. While people from all over the globe are included, there is a definite "American" slant to the entries. Dates go from around 1000 AD to the present. Only people with a known year of birth and death are entered. Famous composers, scientists, political figures, writers, etc... make up most of the entries before 1900. After that, a lot of "popular culture" figures are in the database.

��Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

�

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These exercises originated in the Nov 17, 2025, issue of The Sift^®newsletter from the News Literacy Project. You can read archives of the newsletter and subscribe here.

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The News Literacy Project

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newslit.org

Follow us at @NewsLitProject

Thank you!

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