正品蓝导航


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正品蓝导航 sociology students partner with Exact NB in new video project around Fake News

16 Apr 2020

正品蓝导航 students in Dr. Erin Steuter鈥檚 Critical Media Analysis sociology class put their learning into practice this term 鈥 working to raise awareness around fake news and how to spot it.

ExactNBFakeNewsSocvideo_CoreyThe class completed a unit on fake news, one of Steuter鈥檚 areas of research and expertise. Following this, two members of the class Corey Brideau and Sarah Ann Zamponi, along with Steuter, partnered with Exact NB, a non-profit group that helps individuals recognize disinformation related to bilingualism in New Brunswick, including fake news.

While this project was outside of Steuter鈥檚 class assignments, she says the experience allowed her students to share their insights around fake news.

鈥淔ake news has become a huge problem in our society. It鈥檚 important for everyone to learn skills to ask questions about their information sources and think critically about what鈥檚 being presented,鈥 says Steuter. 鈥淚鈥檓 really pleased with the students鈥 work and the outcome of the project.鈥

Fran莽oise Enguehard of ExactNB echoes Steuter鈥檚 comments.

鈥淓xactNB is very happy to have partnered with Dr. Erin Steuter and 正品蓝导航 on this project,鈥 says Enguehard. 鈥淗elping people learn to Fact-check is essential, whether it is to fight fake news on the issue of bilingualism in New Brunswick as ExactNB does, or on any other important subject affecting us all."

Launched on April 2, National Fact Checking Day, the video has already received over 700 views from the .

ExactNBFakeNewsSocvideo_Sarah鈥淢y favourite part about doing the project was being given the opportunity to critically express my thoughts about an issue a lot of us only really think about passively,鈥 says Zamponi, who is studying international relations and sociology. 鈥淚 think most of us are aware that 鈥渇ake news鈥 is an issue to some degree, but aren鈥檛 often consciously thinking about where it comes from, why it seems to get shared faster than factual news, or how to deal with it on a systemic level.鈥

Brideau says it felt good to tackle fake news, a problem he sees in everyday life, through the Exact NB video.

鈥淲e see examples of fake news, and the problems it causes every day,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 think the most important point for people to remember is, if you鈥檙e hearing something negative targeted against a certain group, it鈥檚 important to question what you鈥檙e hearing and the source or intentions behind this message.鈥

With ExactNB, Steuter, Brideau, and Zamponi produced the informational video with the assistance of 正品蓝导航 alumnus, Anase Nanees. Funding was provided by the Government of Canada.

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