Teaching Legal Research through an Information Literacy Lens

Abstract

The 2016 presidential election brought the term "fake news" into the popular consciousness. Stories began emerging about individuals and groups who had created realistic looking news websites to share false stories via Facebook and other social media sites. These efforts were successful largely because so many people believed the stories to be real and shared them, spreading the fake news far and wide. Until now, people have not been accustomed to evaluating news outlets to see if they are legitimate or not; even for those who try, doing so can be difficult without careful inspection. Recognizing the importance of this issue, universities such as the University of Washington have begun offering courses designed to teach students how to recognize false news and data. However, without constant vigilance, it can be easy to mistake a fake story as real and to disseminate it even further without realizing it.