Here are the tools that could be used to create the fake news of the future

At the heart of fake news — meaning deliberately misleading, untrue information presented as a news item — is a simple idea: People often want to believe things that aren’t true. Read more from The Washington Post.

Earth Day eye-opener by Cathie Rowand

The Junk Ditch doesn't come to mind when embarking on a 141-mile canoe trip from Fort Wayne to Toledo. You think about the Junk Ditch only when it is flooding. But the Save Maumee Grassroots Organization considers the ditch an important part of the Maumee River watershed. So its canoe trip started two Saturdays ago as a unique educational way to experience and expand on Earth Day; and where better to start than on the mostly neglected Junk Ditch? Read more and see video

Bee Strong by Cathie Rowand

We have declared a war on bees. You say, How can that be? We love bees. It must be the mites, viruses and producers of pesticides and herbicides killing the bees, not us. But, who is buying all those chemicals? Who chooses what you grow in your yards? Bees often go unnoticed. Quietly they go about their job pollinating the flowers that become fruits, vegetables and seeds for future generations of plants. But bees’ struggle for survival depends on us. If we allow them to die off, we soon will find that most of the foods we are fond of eating will no longer be available. Could we possibly be declaring war on ourselves as well? See more plus video

Sharers rather than authors more important on social media

By DAVID BAUDER |AP Mar. 20, 2017 NEW YORK (AP) — The person who shares a news story on social media is more important than the story's actual source in determining whether readers believe it, a study by the Media Insight Project has found. Read More..

ADDITIONS TO THE FIVE JOURNALISTIC “W”S

ADDITIONS TO THE FIVE JOURNALISTIC “W”S By Luke Burns January 31, 2017 PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUG MILLS / THE NEW YORK TIMES / REDUX ______________ In journalism, the “Five ‘W’s” are “Who,” “What,” “When,” “Where,” and “Why.” Referring back to the Five “W”s helps journalists address the fundamental questions that every story should be able to answer. Recent events, however, have shown that traditional journalistic practices might not be working as effectively as they used to. As such, here are a few additions to the Five “W”s that will surely come in handy for today’s journalists. The Two “A”s Read More

‘FAKE NEWS’: THE GROWING PHENOMENON

The concept of fake news is not new. There is a long history of blatantly false information put into the public domain for purposes of shock value or to make a quick profit, and for various reasons fake news spreads through print, digital, and by word of mouth. Our industry has spent many years addressing the quality of content circulated in print, but with the advent of real-time information-sharing in the digital age and its ability to influence public opinion – including with milestone events such as elections around the world – readers are struggling with a current trend in which fake news is indistinguishable from real, fact-supported and verifiable news. Read More

Guide to Livestreaming

HAYLEY TSUKAYAMA | Washington Post Livestreaming has become the thing to do on social media, whether you’re using video to share your thoughts with friends or the entire world. You’ve probably seen your share of notifications and maybe even some videos from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others. But if you haven’t yet dipped your toe into the new format, we’ve provided you with a handy guide. click here for article

Don't fall for fake news

Don't fall for fake news NEW YORK – The Pope has endorsed Donald Trump for president. A Washington, D.C., pizzeria is a front for a child sex abuse ring. George Soros will “bring down” the U.S. by funding “black hate groups.” These are just some examples of viral stories circulated on social media recently that are completely untrue. Facebook this month announced some steps it’s taking to stop the spread of such “fake news” on its huge social network. This includes working with outside fact-checking organizations and drying up financial incentives to what it calls the “worst of the worst” spammers that traffic in made-up stories. But there are basic things news readers can do themselves to spot fake news. And if you want, you can report them to Facebook, which can flag stories for fact-checkers to evaluate. Read More