GSAN: ‘Conspiracy theory election’ | Project 2025 misinfo

Hi reader,

Susan here from the newsletter team. I’ve been thinking about the recent news cycle and how scrolling through feeds may feel overwhelming at times.

Lately, I’ve been returning to one of my favorite news literacy tips. It’s simple. Ready for it? Take a pause. Something online stoking strong emotions? Take a pause. Unsure if something is true? Take a pause. Feel your confirmation bias kicking in over a provocative image? Take a pause. I find that taking a breather is helpful before returning to something, so I can fact-check and think critically about information that is likely being fed to me by an algorithm.

In case you missed it, we had more tips in last week’s special issue of Get Smart About News, including three news literacy takeaways on the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

I hope you find the news literacy resources we share here helpful as you navigate the news.

Sincerely,
Susan

Top reads

Online misinformation adds chaos to this year's election. Illustration credit: The News Literacy Project.

A roundup of the latest topics in news literacy.

Misinformation

• Podcast: The Conspiracy Theory Election (What Next: TBD, Slate).
• “The Flattening Machine: The chaotic aftermath of the assassination attempt shows a toxic information system working as designed.” (Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic).
• “You’re more likely to believe fake news shared by someone you barely know than by your best friend” (Joshua Benton, Nieman Lab).
• “How to spot misinformation: 5 tips from CBS News Confirmed” (Alex Clark, CBS News).
• “Pittsburgh professor explains why misinformation circulated after attempted assassination of Trump” (Jessica Guay, CBS News).
  • Related: “‘One screen, two movies’: Conflicting conspiracy theories emerge from the Trump rally shooting” (David Klepper, The Associated Press).

Journalism

• “On a summer Sunday, Biden withdrew with a text statement. News outlets struggled for visuals” (David Bauder, The Associated Press).
• “Evan Gershkovich Sentenced to 16 Years in Russian Prison After Wrongful Conviction” (Georgi Kantchev, The Wall Street Journal).
• Analysis: “How news avoiders got information about Trump’s shooting” (Kelly McBride, Poynter).

Social media

• “Biden tweets instead of talks, as Elon Musk seizes on chaotic election” (Cat Zakrzewski, Naomi Nix and Trisha Thadani, The Washington Post).
• “How Americans Navigate Politics on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram” (Colleen McClain, Monica Anderson and Risa Gelles-Watnick, Pew Research Center).
• “A One-Man Telemundo on TikTok” (Sapna Maheshwari and Ken Bensinger, The New York Times).

Artificial intelligence

• “Google’s AI results are showing up less frequently, a study found” (Jay Peters, The Verge).
• “The Data That Powers A.I. Is Disappearing Fast” (Kevin Roose, The New York Times).

Be civil when loved ones share misinformation.

It’s not easy to keep conversations from getting heated when friends or family share misinformation. But to have a productive conversation, take your time and look for common ground — for example, by looking for shared values or mutual understandings. Consider whether to discuss matters privately or publicly and lay out the facts without attacking anyone.

Share this NewsLit tip:

No, Project 2025 doesn’t plan to eliminate overtime pay or cut billions of dollars of veterans benefits. Check out more of the latest debunked rumors on NLP’s RumorGuard®!

Thanks for reading!

Your weekly issue of Get Smart About News is created by Susan Minichiello (@susanmini), Dan Evon (@danieljevon), Peter Adams (@PeterD_Adams), Hannah Covington (@HannahCov) and Pamela Brunskill (@PamelaBrunskill). It is edited by Mary Kane (@marykkane) and Lourdes Venard (@lourdesvenard).

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