South College Library Blog - Library at South College

What is fake news? Is it malicious—or just lazy? And what can we do to avoid it? Read below to understand this phenomenon and how you can navigate our changing media landscape.

The End of Traditional Publishing

In the past, information came to us through only a few established, official channels, such as the evening news, the local newspaper, or a traditional publishing house. Information transfer through these methods was slow, as each news interview, article, or book passed through multiple hands in the selection, editing, and distribution process.

By contrast, in today's world of instant communication, information comes to us from an unlimited number of sources. We watch vloggers discuss important topics on TikTok or YouTube, download ebooks directly from the author's webpage, or stream a podcast from our smart phones. Without the traditional publishing process, this information is distributed immediately and often without any oversight. This results in a large amount of misinformation that end users have to sift through on their own.

The Rise of Fake News

While a lot of bad information comes from those with good intentions (but poor quality control), there has also been a rise in malicious actors who spread false information on purpose. They may be doing so for a variety of reasons, from getting people to buy their products to convincing people to vote a different way in an election. Fake news can range from covering a news story in a biased manner to completely inventing information with the intent to influence readers.

SMART Evaluation

As end users of information, what can we do? One helpful tool is the SMART evaluation. While reading, consider the following:

Source
1. Who is the author or publisher? Are they an expert on the topic? What kind of website does this appear on?
Motivation
1. What is the purpose of the information? Is this fact, opinion, or propaganda? Does the information have a political or ideological bias?
Accuracy
1. Is the information supported by evidence with its sources cited? Has the information been reviewed by experts? Can you verify the same information in another source? Is the information free from errors in spelling or grammar?
Relevance
1. Who is the intended audience of this information?
Timeliness
1. When was this information published or updated? Are the links functional?

Keep these tips in mind when reviewing any new information, especially when researching for your coursework. Check out additional resources below.

For more tips and sources, check out the South College Library's Fact-Checking: How to Guide Research Guide.

Library Resources

After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News

Publication Date: 2020
An HBO documentary on the consequences of disinformation and fake news in the era of social media.

Bad News: Why We Fall for Fake News by Rob Brotherton
Publication Date: 2020

Rob Brotherton delves into the psychology of news, reviewing how the latest research can help navigate this supposedly post-truth world.

Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News by Amanda Sturgill
Publication Date: 2020

Pithy and practical, Amanda Sturgill draws from present day news examples to help students recognize the most common bad arguments people make.

Fake News and Alternative Facts by Nicole A. Cooke
Publication Date: 2018

Readers will learn more about the rise of fake news, particularly those information behaviors that have perpetuated its spread; discover techniques to identify fake news, especially online; and explore methods to help library patrons of all ages think critically about information, teaching them ways to separate fact from fiction.

Useful Websites

Recent Posts

Fake News: Separating Fact from Fiction in a Post-Truth World

What is fake news? Is it malicious—or just lazy? And what can we do to avoid it? Read below to understand this phenomenon and how you can navigate our changing media landscape.The End of Traditional PublishingIn the past, information came to us through only a few established, official channels, such as the evening news, the local newspaper, or a traditional publishing house. Information transfer through these methods was slow, as each news interview, article, or book passed through multiple hands in the selection, editing, and distribution process. By contrast, in today's world of instant communication, information comes to us from an unlimited number of sources. We watch vloggers discuss important topics on TikTok or YouTube, download ebooks directly from the author's webpage, or stream a podcast from our smart phones. Without the traditional publishing process, this information is distributed immediately and often without any oversight. This results in a large amount of misinformation that end users have to sift through on their own.The Rise of Fake NewsWhile a lot of bad information comes from those with good intentions (but poor quality control), there has also been a rise in malicious actors who spread false information on purpose. They may be doing so for a variety of reasons, from getting people to buy their products to convincing people to vote a different way in an election. Fake news can range from covering a news story in a biased manner to completely inventing information with the intent to influence readers.SMART EvaluationAs end users of information, what can we do? One helpful tool is the SMART evaluation. While reading, consider the following:SourceWho is the author or publisher? Are they an expert on the topic? What kind of website does this appear on?MotivationWhat is the purpose of the information? Is this fact, opinion, or propaganda? Does the information have a political or ideological bias?AccuracyIs the information supported by evidence with its sources cited? Has the information been reviewed by experts? Can you verify the same information in another source? Is the information free from errors in spelling or grammar?RelevanceWho is the intended audience of this information? TimelinessWhen was this information published or updated? Are the links functional?Keep these tips in mind when reviewing any new information, especially when researching for your coursework. Check out additional resources below.For more tips and sources, check out the South College Library's Fact-Checking: How to Guide Research Guide.Library ResourcesAfter Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News Publication Date: 2020An HBO documentary on the consequences of disinformation and fake news in the era of social media. Bad News: Why We Fall for Fake News by Rob Brotherton Publication Date: 2020 Rob Brotherton delves into the psychology of news, reviewing how the latest research can help navigate this supposedly post-truth world. Detecting Deception: Tools to Fight Fake News by Amanda Sturgill Publication Date: 2020 Pithy and practical, Amanda Sturgill draws from present day news examples to help students recognize the most common bad arguments people make. Fake News and Alternative Facts by Nicole A. Cooke Publication Date: 2018 Readers will learn more about the rise of fake news, particularly those information behaviors that have perpetuated its spread; discover techniques to identify fake news, especially online; and explore methods to help library patrons of all ages think critically about information, teaching them ways to separate fact from fiction.Useful WebsitesSnopes.comPolitiFactAllSides: Balanced News from the Left, Center and RightFactCheck.org...

October's Featured Ebooks: Spooky Season

Did you know that the South College Library provides students, faculty, and staff access to over 100,000 ebooks? October is officially Spooky Season, so let’s get into the spirit with books about the paranormal, occult, and downright scary. Spooky Season Theorising the Contemporary Zombie by Conor Heffernan (Editor); Scott Eric Hamilton (Editor) Publication Date: 2022Zombies have become an increasingly popular object of research in academic studies and, of course, in popular media. Over the past decade, they have been employed to explain mathematical equations, vortex phenomena in astrophysics, the need for improved laws, issues within higher education, and even the structure of human societies. Theorising the Contemporary Zombie defines zombiism as a means of theorizing and examining various issues of society in any given era by immersing those social issues within the destabilizing context of apocalyptic crisis; and applying this definition, the volume considers issues including gender, sexuality, family, literature, health, popular culture and extinction. A History of the Vampire in Popular Culture by Violet Fenn Publication Date: 2021An exploration of the continuing appeal of vampires in cultural and social history. Our enduring love of vampires—the bad boys (and girls) of paranormal fantasy—has persisted for centuries. Author Violet Fenn takes the reader through the history of vampires in “fact” and fiction, their origins in mythology and literature, and their enduring appeal on TV and film. The book delves into the sexuality—and sexism—of vampire lore, as well as how modern audiences still hunger for a pair of sharp fangs in the middle of the night. Haunted Homes by Dahlia Schweitzer Publication Date: 2021Haunted Homes is a short but groundbreaking study of homes in horror film and television. While haunted houses can be fun and thrilling, Hollywood horror tends to focus on haunted homes, places where the suburban American dream of safety and comfort has turned into a nightmare. From classic movies like The Old Dark House to contemporary works like Hereditary and the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, Dahlia Schweitzer explores why haunted homes have become a prime stage for dramatizing anxieties about family, gender, race, and economic collapse. This lively and readable study reveals how and why an increasing number of films imagine that home is where the horror is. Haunted Kansas by Lisa Hefner Heitz Publication Date: 2023Who's that? Is someone there? A whisper of air brushes your cheek. Then all is still. Maybe it was just the wind. Or maybe it wasn't....The evanescent apparitions of these tales have frightened and at times amused Kansans throughout the state's long history. Yet this is the first book to capture for posterity the lively antics of the state's ghostly denizens. Besides preserving a colorful and imaginative, if intangible, side of the state's popular heritage, Heitz supplies ghost-storytellers with ample hair-raising material for, well, eternity. Maybe that person breathing softly behind you has another such story to share. Oh, no one's there? Perhaps it really was just the breeze off the prairie. Witchcraft and Adolescence in American Popular Culture by Miranda Corcoran Publication Date: 2022In the decades since the Second World War, the teenage witch has emerged as a major American cultural trope. Appearing in films, novels, comics and on television, adolescent witches have long reflected shifting societal attitudes towards the teenage demographic. At the same time, teen witches have also served as a means through which adolescent femininity can be conceptualized, interrogated and reimagined. Drawing on a wide theoretical framework—including the works of Deleuze and Foucault as well as recent new materialist philosophies—this book explores how the adolescent witch has evolved over the course of more than seventy years. Vampirology by Kathryn Harkup Publication Date: 2021Our fascination with the vampire myth has scarcely diminished since Bram Stoker's publication of the classic Dracula tale in 1897, but how much of the lore is based in fact and can science explain the origins of horror's most famous fiend? Vampirology charts the murky waters of the vampire myth – from stories found in many cultures across the globe to our sympathetic pop-culture renditions today – to investigate how a scientific interpretation may shed light on the fears and phenomena of the vampire myth. You can find these and more through the South College Library’s digital collection on the library website. ...

South College Library's Name the Skull Contest

Did you know that the Nashville Resource Center is home to a skull? No, it's not just for Halloween. Some of our Resource Centers offer hands-on anatomy models for students to use for study. One of our most personable anatomy models is this skull, posing here with Nashville-based Instruction Librarian Dayani Boatman.Even if you don't have access to this glorious specimen, the South College Library has several excellent digital anatomy tools to help you study from anywhere. AccessMedicine's 3D Human Anatomy Modules AccessPhysiotherapy's Anatomy & Physiology Revealed ToolWant to learn more and have a chance to win? Read on for the contest details and rules!Name the Skull Contest RulesBetween October 15-31, 2025, visit the Name the Skull contest page.Complete the brief tutorial on the library's digital anatomy resources and answer the required questions.Submit a name for the Nashville Resource Center's skull as well as your name and email address. You may only submit one entry. Library staff will vote on the winning name in early November. Stay tuned to the Library Blog to find out who wins!ENTER NOW...

Meet Your Library Staff: Ashley Hoffman

Ashley Hoffman is the Outreach Librarian, based at the Marietta, GA learning site. She has been with South College since August 2025. Name the question you get asked the most and share your go-to solution. “Where are all the books??” is the question I get the most these days. As a newly opened learning site, it’s true that the Marietta Resource Center doesn’t have a lot of books on the shelf (yet), but what people may not realize is that we actually have access to over 100,000 books on our website! You can find all our eBook collections at https://library.south.edu/home/ebooks. Point to one resource you wish students utilized more and why it matters. We have an amazing South College Library Blog that has tons of research tips and highlighted resources for students that is published twice a month. There’s tons of great information on it—and even some fun contests that students can participate in! What’s one behind-the-scenes task that, if skipped, students would feel tomorrow? A “thankless” task that library staff does is wipe down all of our lending laptops with disinfecting wipes between uses. Believe me, once cold and flu season is in full swing, you will thank us for this extra step! What inspired you to seek out a job in libraries? I have always loved reading, but beyond that I’ve always loved helping people. I started working part-time at my college’s library while I was in school and I’ve worked for a library ever since. My favorite jobs have been the ones that let me directly put students in touch with the resources they need for their schoolwork. If you could recommend one book that everyone should read, what would it be? I’m a science fiction fan, and I’m forever recommending the book The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin to people who love reading but are skeptical about science fiction. This book has such a rich world to explore, such important themes, and such a fascinating “twist” at the end that I could discuss it for days. I’ve successfully converted two people into science fiction readers with this book! Bonus Question: What are your favorite spooky stories? I have always loved the short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The creepiest one to me is “Berenice,” which—to explain it very badly—is all about a man obsessed with his fiancée’s teeth. I’ll let you read the story to find out what I mean....