With alternative facts and fake news on the rise, The Fake News Watch is where we check the facts, call out the bullshit, and learn to identify the difference. In a deeply divided political world, we all have a responsibility to seek the truth and share it.

References and Additional Reading:

More information on Trump’s decision to scale back protections for transgender students:

“Whatever Happened to the News?” by Daniel C. Hallin, for the Center for Media Literacy:
http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/whatever-happened-news

FCC Consumer Guide:
http://transition.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/journalism.pdf
Correction by Kaylee Fagan (March 1st, 2017, 11:44 a.m.)
In the original version of this episode, I incorrectly implied that popular pop-singer Rihanna had not been named Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year, based on a satirical article published in the Onion. This mistake has been removed from the episode. I would like to apologize to Rihanna, the Harvard Foundation, and any viewers that were mislead, as well as congratulate Rihanna on her well-deserved award. Clearly, fake news is complicated and hard to unpack, even for us. Mistakes like this remind myself and our team how important it is to get it right.

Here’s some more information about Rihanna’s award from the Harvard Foundation:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/3/1/rihanna-humanitarian-award/