GSAN: Beyoncé and Taylor Swift rumors | Politics on TikTok

Note: Get Smart About News is taking a break next week and will return to your inbox in its regular format on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Dear reader,

Amid an unrelenting news cycle, we hope you’ve found the resources in the summer edition of this newsletter helpful in navigating an eventful election season.

Speaking of election resources, be sure to check out the News Literacy Project’s Misinformation Dashboard: Election 2024. This free interactive resource contains hundreds of examples of election misinformation along with analysis of common trends and themes, and was covered by CNN recently.

See you again very soon!

Sincerely,
The Get Smart About News team

Top reads

A roundup of the latest topics in news literacy.

Misinformation

• “These are the big election-related misinfo themes on Chinese-language social media” (Kimmy Yam, NBC News).
• “Former MMA fighter Ronda Rousey apologizes for posting Sandy Hook conspiracy online 11 years ago” (Susan Haigh, The Associated Press).
• “From buzz to fizzle as rumours of Beyoncé performance at DNC fly, then fade” (Helen Sullivan and Adrian Horton, The Guardian).
• “Man arrested in Pakistan for alleged role in spreading disinformation linked to UK riots” (Sophia Saifi, Azaz Syed and Zahid Mahmood, CNN).

Social media

• “Teens are making thousands by debating Trump vs. Harris on TikTok” (Viola Zhou, Rest of the World).
• “About half of TikTok users under 30 say they use it to keep up with politics, news” (Colleen McClain, Pew Research Center).

Journalism

• “Why It's Important for Journalists to Correct Misconceptions” (Susan A. Nolan and Michael Kimball, Psychology Today).
• “‘I Was Pulled Off of the Sidewalk’: At Least 3 Journalists Arrested Covering DNC Protests” (Akela Lacy and Jonah Valdez, The Intercept).
• “Fact-checking, unburdened by what has been” (Jon Allsop, Columbia Journalism Review).
• “Local News Is Dying, but Not in San Francisco” (Eli Tan, The New York Times).
  • Related: “The Star Tribune isn’t the only local newspaper that’s growing” (Kristen Hare, Poynter).

Think like a journalist.

Living in a news desert during an election year? Try thinking like a journalist to find quality information about what’s on your ballot. Check the accuracy of candidates’ claims against standards-based sources, refer to official sources like your local elections office for questions about voting and ask your local librarian for additional resources.

Share this NewsLit tip:

No, pop music star Taylor Swift hasn’t endorsed a 2024 presidential candidate. No, Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz didn’t change the Minnesota state flag to resemble Somalia’s. Check out more of the latest debunked rumors on NLP’s RumorGuard®!

Featured video

How did viral rumors about a possible Beyoncé appearance at last week’s Democratic National Convention turn into misinformation? Check out this NLP TikTok to learn more. (You can also view this video on Instagram and YouTube.)

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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