Sort Fact from Fiction Online with Lateral Reading

Summary

In an age of information overload, discerning the truth requires critical evaluation of digital sources. The Stanford History Education Group's study reveals that many, even the intelligent, are misled by surface-level cues like aesthetics and official-looking logos. Professional fact checkers, however, employ 'lateral reading,' cross-referencing information across the web to verify credibility. This method, proven effective in educational settings, empowers individuals to navigate the web more astutely, fostering a more informed society.

Takeaways

• 📚 We are in an era of information overabundance, requiring discernment in evaluating digital information.
• 🔍 The Stanford History Education Group's study revealed differences in how people evaluate online content.
• 🎓 Intelligent individuals often evaluate websites by reading vertically and focusing on aesthetics, which can be misleading.
• 🏛️ Many are deceived by official-looking logos or .org URLs, not realizing their open nature and lack of verification.
• 🔎 Professional fact checkers read laterally, cross-referencing information across different sources instead of relying on a single site.
• 📰 Fact checkers use broader web resources like news articles and Wikipedia to verify the credibility of a source.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Lateral reading is a more effective approach than vertical reading, as it involves cross-checking information.
• 📈 Lateral reading can be taught and improves students' ability to judge websites accurately.
• 📋 Traditional digital literacy methods often involve long checklists and don't prioritize cross-referencing.
• 🌐 Becoming skilled at lateral reading requires practice, exposure to various sources, and knowledge of reliable news outlets.

Q & A

What is the main challenge discussed in the Stanford History Education Group's study?

The main challenge is the overabundance of information on the internet, which demands that people be more discerning and question the credibility of sources.

What did the study involve in terms of participants?

The study involved Stanford undergraduates, professors from four different universities, and professional fact checkers.

What was the common mistake made by intelligent people when evaluating websites?

Intelligent people often evaluated websites by reading vertically, focusing on the site's aesthetics, graphics, and overall appearance, and were deceived by official-looking logos or .org in the URL.

Why is the .org domain misleading in the context of evaluating websites?

The .org domain is misleading because it is an open domain that can be purchased by any individual or group without a character test or proof of working for social betterment.

How do professional fact checkers differ in their approach to evaluating websites?

Professional fact checkers approach the web by reading laterally, opening new tabs, and cross-referencing information from multiple sources rather than relying on a single site.

What is lateral reading and how does it help in evaluating digital information?

Lateral reading is the practice of cross-referencing information from multiple sources to evaluate the credibility of a website. It helps in finding better information online and becoming a more informed member of society.

What was the result of the study when comparing the ability of bright Stanford students to professional fact checkers?

Only 40% of bright Stanford students were able to make the link to Richard Berman, whereas 100% of the fact checkers did, often in a fraction of the time, demonstrating the effectiveness of lateral reading.

How can lateral reading be taught and improved?

Lateral reading can be taught through civic online reasoning lessons, which help students significantly increase their ability to accurately judge websites. Becoming skilled at it takes practice, seeing examples, and knowing when to identify reliable or unreliable sources.

What is the difference between lateral reading and traditional methods for teaching digital literacy?

Traditional methods focus on long checklists of questions and keep students' eyes on a single site before establishing its credibility, whereas lateral reading encourages cross-referencing and evaluating information from multiple sources.

Why is it important to teach students lateral reading skills?

Teaching students lateral reading skills is important because it helps them to find better information online, become more discerning consumers of digital content, and contribute to a more informed and thoughtful society.

What is the role of critical thinking skills in the context of evaluating digital information?

Critical thinking skills are essential in evaluating digital information as they enable individuals to question the credibility of sources, look beyond surface-level appearances, and cross-verify information to make informed judgments.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️‍♂️ Critical Evaluation of Digital Information

The paragraph discusses the necessity for discernment in the digital age, where information is abundant. It highlights the findings of the Stanford History Education Group's study, which compared the evaluation methods of undergraduates, professors, and professional fact-checkers. The study revealed that many intelligent individuals were misled by the appearance and branding of websites, focusing on aesthetics and official-looking logos. They were not aware that domains like .org can be purchased by anyone without verification. Fact-checkers, on the other hand, adopted a different approach, practicing 'lateral reading' by cross-referencing information across multiple sources rather than relying on a single site's content. This method was shown to be more effective in identifying the true nature of sources, as exemplified by the contrast between the evaluations of the Employment Policies Institute by students and fact-checkers. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the teachability of lateral reading and its importance in fostering informed and critical digital literacy.

Keywords

💡Information Overabundance

Information overabundance refers to the situation where there is an excessive amount of information available, often making it difficult to discern what is accurate or relevant. In the video, this concept is central as it sets the stage for the need to be discerning with the information we consume. The narrator emphasizes that we should not accept information at face value, highlighting the importance of questioning the source of information.

💡Discerning

Discerning, in the context of the video, means having the ability to judge which information is reliable and which is not. It is a critical skill in the era of information overabundance. The video suggests that instead of passively accepting information, we should actively evaluate it, which is a key theme throughout the narrative.

💡Lateral Reading

Lateral reading is a method of evaluating information by looking beyond the immediate source and cross-referencing it with other sources. The video contrasts this approach with vertical reading, where one reads deeply within a single source. Fact checkers in the study use lateral reading to quickly and effectively verify the credibility of information, which is a central technique promoted in the video for discerning the truth.

💡Vertical Reading

Vertical reading involves focusing on a single source and reading deeply within it, similar to how one would read a printed document. The video points out that many intelligent individuals, including professors and students, fall into the trap of trusting a website's appearance and content without verifying its credibility through lateral reading.

💡Fact Checkers

Fact checkers are professionals who verify the accuracy of information, often used in journalism and research. In the video, they are portrayed as experts who use lateral reading to efficiently assess the credibility of online information. Their methods are held up as a model for how to critically evaluate digital content.

💡.org Domain

The .org domain is mentioned in the video as a common misconception about credibility. Many people assume that a website with an .org URL is trustworthy because it suggests a non-profit or organizational affiliation. However, the video clarifies that anyone can purchase a .org domain, and it does not inherently indicate credibility.

💡Aesthetics

Aesthetics refers to the visual appearance and design of a website. The video notes that many people are deceived by a site's professional-looking aesthetics, such as graphics and layout, into believing the information presented is reliable. This highlights a pitfall in evaluating information based on superficial qualities rather than content verification.

💡Scholarly References

Scholarly references are citations or mentions of academic work that are intended to add credibility to an argument. The video points out that unlike in academic journals, the internet allows for unverified scholarly references, which can be misleading. This underscores the importance of not taking online references at face value.

💡Civic Online Reasoning

Civic online reasoning refers to the ability to think critically and make informed judgments about digital information, particularly in the context of civic engagement. The video suggests that teaching lateral reading as part of civic online reasoning can significantly improve students' ability to evaluate websites, which is a key takeaway for fostering digital literacy.

💡Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is the skill of being able to find, evaluate, and use information from digital sources effectively. The video discusses various methods for teaching digital literacy, critiquing those that focus on long checklists and advocating for lateral reading as a more effective approach to discerning reliable information online.

Highlights

We live in an era of information overabundance, requiring discernment.

The key question to ask about information is 'Who's behind it?'

Stanford History Education Group's study on evaluating digital information.

Intelligent individuals often evaluate websites by reading vertically and focusing on aesthetics.

Deception by official-looking logos and .org domain names.

.org domains are open and can be bought by anyone without verification.

Scholarly references and research reports on the web lack academic journal's rigor.

Professional fact checkers read laterally and use broader web sources.

Fact checkers quickly identify the true nature of websites like the Employment Policies Institute.

Wikipedia and New York Times articles provide broader context for evaluating websites.

Richard Berman, labeled 'Dr. Evil', is linked to nonprofit front groups advocating for corporate clients.

Only 40% of Stanford students made the link to Berman, while fact checkers did 100% of the time.

Lateral reading can be taught and significantly improves students' ability to judge websites.

Lateral reading contrasts with methods focusing on long checklists and single-site evaluation.

Becoming skilled at lateral reading requires practice and exposure to various sources.

Lateral reading helps students find better information and become more informed members of society.

Transcripts

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] We live in an era of information overabundance.

This demands that we be more discerning.

Instead of accepting information at face value,

we should always ask this one important question.

Who's behind the information?

The Stanford History Education Group conducted a study

with Stanford undergraduates,

professors from four different universities,

and professional fact checkers

to determine the most effective methods

for evaluating digital information.

There were dramatic differences

in how intelligent people looked at the web.

Many smart undergrads

and esteemed professors evaluated a site

by reading vertically, staying on the site

and reading it as if it were a printed document.

They focused on the site's look, it's aesthetics, graphics,

and overall appearance.

They were deceived by an official-looking logo

or the name of the organization.

They attributed importance to the .org

in the URL without realizing that .org is an open domain.

Any individual or group can buy a .org domain

without passing a character test

or proving they're working for social betterment.

They examined scholarly references

and research reports without realizing

that unlike an academic journal, on the web, anything goes.

Intelligent people equipped

with critical thinking skills were often taken

in by slick web pages.

Professional fact checkers approach the web differently.

They understood that on the web,

what you see if often not what you get.

The web is treacherous territory

and you can't let your eyes deceive you.

Landing on an unfamiliar site,

they didn't waste precious time engaged in close reading.

Instead, they opened new tabs

in their browser and read laterally.

Rather than spending time

on a site like the Employment Policies Institute,

they turned to the broader web.

They clicked on a New York Times article

about the Employment Policies Institute

entitled Fight Over Minimum Wage Illustrates

Web of Industry Ties.

They scanned the Wikipedia entry,

which describes the institute as

"a fiscally conservative think tank,

"particularly aimed towards reducing the minimum wage.

"It's staff worked for a public affairs firm owned

"by Richard Berman."

A search for Richard Berman leads

to a 60 Minutes report which labels Berman as "Dr. Evil"

for his use of nonprofit front groups

that advocate on behalf of his corporate clients.

Only 40% of bright Stanford students were able

to make the link to Berman.

100% of the fact checkers did,

often in a fraction of the time.

Lateral reading was the reason why.

Our research studies have shown

that lateral reading can be taught.

Students in classes that completed civic online

reasoning lessons significantly increase their ability

to accurately judge websites compared to a control group.

Lateral reading stands in sharp contrast

to many methods for teaching digital literacy.

These methods focus on long checklists of questions

and keep students' eyes on a single site

before they've even established

that the site is worth their time.

Although the basic idea of lateral reading is simple,

becoming skilled at it takes practice.

Students need to see examples of lateral reading

and practice it with a range of sources.

They also need to know

when they found a reliable news source

or one that's known for conspiracy theories.

Lateral reading helps students

to find better information online and to become informed

and more thoughtful members of society.