The librarian’s role in information credibility

“Fake news,” “alternative facts”—these previously unfamiliar terms and concepts are now part of our lexicon, thanks to a number of factors—like an alarming increase of misinformation and purposeful disinformation across social media platforms and dubious “news” sites.

At a time when there is so much media available, when anyone with a smartphone can be a “citizen journalist,” and when foreign governments are intentionally seeding misleading information into the media stream, it’s difficult to sort the true from the false and the real from the fake. The real question is, what can we do about it? Since I come from the world of librarianship, it will come as no surprise when I say that librarians have a unique opportunity and duty to restore reliance on facts to today’s discourse.

Read the full article on the LAC Group website.