Sift quiz: Pink slime
This six-question quiz tests students’ knowledge of journalism standards and pink slime sites that masquerade as local news.
As the number of local news outlets have declined, “pink slime” sites have filled the vacuum in some areas. These sites masquerade as local news — and may even include mastheads and fake reporter names — but lack journalism standards. The term “pink slime” is borrowed from the food industry to describe a meat by-product used as an additive or filler. Partisan groups that publish pink slime sites have taken advantage of AI technology and automation to crank out politically motivated “filler” articles more quickly and cheaply than ever before.
This six-question quiz begins with questions about characteristics of quality journalism and pink slime sites, followed by four examples of pink slime and/or news sites for students to examine.
Related NLP resources:
This quiz originally appeared in the Dec. 1, 2025, issue of The Sift®, a newsletter for educators that explores timely examples of misinformation, addresses journalism and press freedom topics and examines social media trends and issues. Read archives of the newsletter and subscribe here.
Recommended grade level(s):
6-8
9-12+
Relevant NLP standard(s):
S3.A: Standards of quality journalism
Approximate duration:
15-30 minutes
Highly relevant subject(s):
Journalism