Comprehension

Read the following Articles and Respond to the questions and tasks.
1. Facts, Opinions & Fake News

Gymnasts Pose for Olympic Selfie

August 2016
 
BRAZIL- North and South Korean women’s gymnasts pose for Olympic selfie. Lee Eun-ju of South
Korea and Hong Un-jong of North Korea took a photo before the Olympic Games began.

 
The pictures of the two women have been hailed as embodying the Olympic value of friendship. North
and South Korea are technically at war with each other. Relations between the two nations have been
more tense with recent missile launches from North Korea. But that did not stop the Olympic athletes
from coming together during the Games.
 
Real and accurate news includes factual information. A fact is an undeniable truth. The article
above about two gymnasts from the Korean Peninsula includes many facts. Thanks to evidence
like witnesses and photos, there is no denying that the two gymnasts met during the 2016
Olympics. The story also refers to historical facts about the war between North and South
Korea. Each fact in this news story can be verified.
 
The Trouble with the Olympic Games
March 2016
 
BRAZIL- Hosting the Olympic Games is not usually profitable or worth it in my opinion. The 1984
Games in Los Angeles is said to be the first lucrative games since 1932.
 
Most countries take years to pay back the debts of building stadiums, hotels and other Olympic venues.
And who pays for all this? The taxpayers of the host countries, that's who! For example, the 2004
Summer Games in Athens, Greece cost the country about 11 billion dollars. This was double what the
Greek government originally budgeted. Many people believe the Athens Games led to Greece's
economic collapse in 2008.
 

 
Many people in Brazil made economic arguments against hosting the Olympic games in 2016. The
2016 Olympics in Brazil also called attention to social issues within the country. There were violent
confrontations between Brazilian police and citizens. Thousands also protested the games because the
country had an ongoing public health crisis. The negative publicity of the Olympic games appear to
have had an additional impact on the country’s politics and economy.
 
The article above is an opinion story. Opinion stories present an argument and attempt to
persuade people to agree with the beliefs of the author. Many publications have opinion articles
about a variety of topics. Opinion stories, or Op-Eds, should not be presented as factual news,
rather as one person’s beliefs about a specific issue.
 
  
SCOTLAND- Have you ever wanted to own a penguin? Well look no further than the Penguin Studies
class at the University of Dundee. The Penguin Studies class will develop students not only as a first
class ‘penguinologists’ but also as a world class penguin keepers. Click here for more info!
 
The University of Dundee released this fake news story in April 2017. The news that the school
would offer classes on penguins spread across the internet and social media. The University of
Dundee received many applicants and inquiries about the program. Later, the University of
Dundee explained that the program did not exist. The University announced the program as part
of a marketing campaign during the April Fool’s holiday.
 
How to Identify Facts, Opinions, and Fake News
 
Facts are undeniable truths. A fact is proven and supported with evidence. Peer-reviewed
academic studies, scientific research, data, and statistics are often used as evidence to prove a
fact.
 
Facts can also be supported by experts. An expert is someone who has experience with a
specific topic. An expert also studies the topic in a respected university and has received
endorsements from other experts. When expert agree on an idea, that idea is often accepted as
a fact.
 
Journalists will also use witnesses and evidence to substantiate facts. If a person or a group of
people witnessed the same event, then it is a fact that the event happened. Alternatively, if
someone captures a photo or a video of an event, the photo or video will often be accepted as
evidence.
 
An opinion is a belief. Unlike facts, opinions represent the ideas of one person or a group of
people. One way to distinguish between fact and opinions is by identifying specific words and
phrases. If a story uses expression like “I feel,” or “I believe,” the story is probably an opinion
story. Words that represent extremes also indicate opinion stories and fake news. For example,
the words “always,” “never,” and “best” are examples of phrases used to provoke an emotional
response.
 
The statement “George Washington was the first president of the United States” is a fact. The
statement “George Washington was the best president of the United States” cannot be proven
and is an opinion.

Any news that does not use facts is either an opinion or fake news. Often times, fake news can
look like factual news. Readers can identify fake news by looking at the evidence mentioned in
the news story. If an author sites an expert, for example, search for that expert online. Search
for other stories published by the expert. Then, look for the expert’s academic credentials. If the
expert does not have experience or education related to the topic, the news story might be fake.
 
Another way to identify fake news is by learning more about the data and research mentioned in
the article. In the same way one can check the credibility of an expert, readers can look at the
studies mentioned in a news story. Was the study conducted by an respected academic? Was
enough data collected? Did a company pay to sponsor the study or the news story?
 Based on the above article, answer the following 2 questions. Making sure that you
include evidence from the text to support your answer.

1. What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

2. What different types of evidence do journalists use?

3. Share one opinion that many people in your community believe? How do you
know it is an opinion and not a fact?
 
 
Vocabulary
 
Word Definition

belief (noun) a strong opinion, a viewpoint that is not always based in facts

credible (adjective) trustworthy

evidence (noun) something that gives proof or a reason to believe

persuade (verb) to cause someone to do something using reason or an argument

statistic (noun) a piece of numerical information such as an average

substantiate (verb) to support by providing evidence

verify (verb) to make sure something is true or correct

witness (noun) a person who sees or hears something that happens

 
Select 5 of the vocabulary words and create your own sentences.

2. How to Identify Credible Sources

 A growing number of adults, however, get their news from the internet. In fact, the same
study found that about 40% of adults in the United States now receive their news
through online publications and social networks. In the United States, only 20% of adults
receive their news from print media like magazines and newspapers. Unlike older
generations, only about 5% of young adults age 18-29 regularly receive and read print
newspapers.

 
Elephants Poisoned in Zimbabwe
June 21, 2017
 
ZIMBABWE- Ten elephants have been found dead in and around Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park.
The ten elephants were poisoned. After the elephants died, their tusks were hacked off.
 

 
The first known case of elephant poisoning in Zimbabwe was a massacre of over 100 elephants in
2013. Since then, poisoning has become a common means of poaching.
 
The poachers use a dilute sodium cyanide solution and, in some cases, a toxic herbicide. Roxy
Danckwerts, founder of Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery, ended up with kidney and lung failure after being
exposed to the same poison that poachers use to kill elephants.
 
Most of the poisoned elephant carcasses in Hwange were discovered by pilots conducting periodic
animal counts. Colin Gillies, vice-chair of the Matabeleland branch of Wildlife & Environment
Zimbabwe, says the remote south and north-eastern areas are difficult for rangers to patrol effectively.

🗹 Is the author credible?

 Anyone can make a news story. The story above was published by a respected
publisher in June 2017. The author of the story is a published travel writer and
conservation journalist. The author has spent large amounts of time in Africa. The author
also has a long history of publishing content related to animal conservation both in Africa
and around the world.
 
The author’s experience traveling to the location of the story, the author’s previous
published works, and the author's use of credible experts add to the article’s credibility.
 
🗹 Is the story current?
 
The world around us changes every day. When sharing news stories, readers should
recognize when a story was published. The article above was published in June 2017
making it current.
 
If a curious reader wanted to learn more about elephants and elephant poaching, they
might search the internet. A quick search result for the terms “elephants” and “poaching”
finds over 20,000 news stories related to the topic. But not every news story is current.
 
When reading the news, make sure to find stories that were published within the past
three to six months. If the only available news stories related to a topic are more than six
months old, make sure to check the facts and see if they’re still accurate.
 
🗹 Is the publisher credible?
 
When people listen to, read about, or watch the news, they are almost always receiving
the news from a publisher. A publisher is a company that shares information and news
stories. Publishers and media companies are run by people who use the news to make
money. Publishers make money through subscriptions and advertisements.
 
When choosing a news source, identify whether the publisher is formal or informal. A formal
publication may be the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal from the United States.
The Telegraph from Britain and France’s Le Figaro are also formal publications. Informal
publications include Facebook pages, blogs, and personal sites. Informal publications also
feature news stories but are not held to the same fact checking standards as a formal news
outlet.
 
When reading news, make sure that the publisher has a strong record for checking the
facts. Check the tone for humor or strong emotions. Check to see if the paper’s
advertisements might have a conflict of interest with specific stories.
Activity
Answer the following questions based on the above article:
1. What makes a journalist trustworthy?

2. Why is it important to consider an article’s publication date?

3. Share a credible news source that people in your community use. Explain how
you know that it is credible.
 📰
3. Why People make Fake News.
Propaganda
 
Propaganda is information used to support a specific point of view. Groups and
individuals use propaganda to influence the attitude of others. Propaganda often include
false or misleading statements. Propaganda often appeal to people’s emotions by using
passionate language.
 
Many fake news stories are created as propaganda. These stories influence the way
people think about political and social issues. Propaganda can be found on signs,
t-shirts, and even graphic novels. Propaganda can also appear in music, journalism, and
other forms of writing.

4.  
The above poster suggests that Fidel Castro, the former Cuban head of state, is the only
way for the Cubans to enjoy freedom.
 
Propaganda is biased. Bias occurs when a writer has strong opinions about a news
story. The strong opinions of the writer prevent the story from be told in an honest and
accurate way. Politicians and their political allies use propaganda to promote
partisanship. Propaganda can trick an audience into thinking in a specific way.

 
  

Americans Support Iranian President

September 2012
 
WEST VIRGINIA- Rural American prefer Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to President of
the United States, Barack Obama.
 

 
“I like Mr. Ahmadinejad better,” said a West Virginia resident. According to a recent poll, over 70% of
rural Americans said that they would rather go to a baseball game with Mr. Ahmadinejad than spend
time with President Obama.
 
People will often read a news story that appears too surprising to be true. Some
publications use humor and satire to lure readers to their websites. The above story
about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a fake news story. A satirical
publication called The Onion published the story. The story was meant to highlight the
unpopularity of President Obama among rural voters. The fake news story was picked
up and shared by Iran’s state run news agency!
 
On humor and satirical publications, stories are purposely fake. These fake stories draw
attention to social and political issues. Satirical articles can be written in such a
convincing way, that it can be hard for readers to know that the stories are fake.
 
📰 Conspiracy Theories & Rumor Mills
 
Like propaganda, people create conspiracy theories and rumors to promote a specific
point of view. Informal and less reputable news outlets often publish conspiracy theories
and rumors. Conspiracy theories then spread through social media and are sometimes
shared by major news networks.
 
Writers who publish rumors and conspiracy theories think that they are uncovering an
important story. Unfortunately, conspiracy theories and rumors are not often supported
by facts. Conspiracy theories can lead to the spread of counterproductive and
sometimes dangerous opinions.
 

 
Many conspiracy theorists believe that aliens have visited earth!
 
 
People places signs in front of Comet Ping Pong Pizza after the shooting incident that
was spurred by fake news.
 
In 2016, the Pizzagate conspiracy theory began as an opinion story. The story  then
became a popular social media hashtag. Finally, the story resulted in gunfire at a
Washington D.C. restaurant.
 
A man from North Carolina entered into a pizza place yielding weapons. The gunman
read a rumor that was spread on social media. The rumor claimed that an important
political figure in America was behind a secret plot to hurt children. The conspiracy
theory claimed that the secret organization operated from the back of a pizza shop in
Washington D.C. The gunman decided to take action and investigate the conspiracy
theory himself. The Comet Ping Pong incident demonstrates just how dangerous
conspiracy theories can be.

📰 Fame, Publicity, and Fast Cash

 

 
Fake and fictitious news can make people famous. As a result, many people create
exciting and dramatic news stories to draw people to their websites. This helps people
who create fake news make revenue from advertisements. The crazier the news story,
the more people will click on the story and check out the rest of the site. These fake
news stories are often times referred to as click-bait.
 
Over the top headlines grab the attention of readers but is often the sign of fake news.
 
Each click of an advertisement on a fake news site makes money for the website’s
creators and for their advertisers. One publisher said that “as long as the traffic and
readers are real and the advertisements are shown to real people,” companies will
accept fake news sites. Companies that run the advertisements get pennies for each
click, so if a story goes viral, a lot of money can be made.
 
 Activity

Answer the following questions remember to provide evidence to support your answer:

1. What is propaganda?

2. How can person identity humor and satirical in the news?

3. Why do news outlets publish fake and sensational news?

4. If you had the opportunity, how would you solve the fake news problem?