Sort Fact from Fiction Online with Lateral Reading
Summary
TLDRIn 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
🕵️♂️ 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Information Overabundance
💡Discerning
💡Lateral Reading
💡Vertical Reading
💡Fact Checkers
💡.org Domain
💡Aesthetics
💡Scholarly References
💡Civic Online Reasoning
💡Digital Literacy
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.
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