Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education

Since the 2016 U.S.presidential election, debates about fake news have regularly appeared inentertainment, politics, and news media. While many agree on the dangersassociated with fake news, there is no consensus concerning the definition ofthe phenomenon or its origins which are loosely attributed to a variety ofpractices and technologies. Much of the discourse on fake news has focused onproposing solutions, with media literacy being one of the most frequentlymentioned. Although, Nolan Higdon contends that expanded access to medialiteracy education is a more promising solution than government regulation orcommercial products; he argues that it will be unsuccessful unless it includesa critical framework and comprehensive history of fake news. TheAnatomy of Fake News offers the first historical examination of fakenews for the purpose of creating effective critical news literacy. Higdonemploys a critical-historical media ecosystems approach to identify theproducers, themes, purposes, and influences of fake news. The findings areincorporated into an invaluable fake news detection kit. This historically richtext is a much-needed resource for history buffs and practitioners alike.