GSAN: Sunscreen misinfo | NewsLit tip: Deepfakes

Top reads

A roundup of the latest topics in news literacy and misinformation.

“ChatGPT-maker OpenAI signs deal with AP to license news stories” (Matt O’Brien, The Associated Press).
“FTC opens investigation into ChatGPT company OpenAI over inaccuracies, data protection” (Bailey Schulz, USA Today).
“RFK Jr. is building a presidential campaign around conspiracy theories” (Shannon Bond, NPR).
“Meta’s Threads wants to become a ‘friendly’ place by downgrading news and politics” (Bobby Allyn, NPR).
Video: “Disinformation Expert: Govt Communication With Social Media Is Not Censorship” (Amanpour and Company).
Opinion: “We shouldn’t turn disinformation into a constitutional right” (Darrell M. West, Brookings Institution).
“Texas TikTok Ban Challenged for Threatening ‘Academic Freedom’” (Sapna Maheshwari, The New York Times).
Video: “Sunscreen misinformation spreading online” (NBC News).
“With the rise of AI, social media platforms could face perfect storm of misinformation in 2024” (Clare Duffy, CNN).

How to fact-check in the AI age. Spot deepfakes, avoid clickbait. Free webinar by the News Literacy Project. Tuesday, August 8 at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Featured video

How do journalists harness the power of data to tell stories? This NLP YouTube Shorts video revisits this News Goggles topic:

A News Literacy Project YouTube Shorts video displays the words “News Goggles” above a flashlight and a pair of binoculars.

Is it a deepfake?
As artificial intelligence technology continues to advance, digital manipulations and fabrications in images and videos are becoming harder to spot. Practice healthy skepticism and check the authenticity of visuals with a credible news source.

Share this NewsLit tip:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not refer to ‘Sir-Mixes-a-lot’ in his high school yearbook. A viral video of President Joe Biden does not show him sniffing a kid — the sniff sound was added in. Check out more of the latest debunked rumors on NLP’s RumorGuard!

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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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