Fake News Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RI.9-10.6, SL.11-12.1.A

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

Something that is highlighted in a series of reports by journalists is often referred to as a news. The concept of journalism was originally set in the direction to inform the public of indisputable facts that were clear ever present. As mediums have changed, so has the credence of the organizations that are reporting facts. Journalism has shift from an exercise is informing the public to getting the individual members of the public to take action. This because the value of journalism has distractedly changed from the holder of facts to the entertainment mindset. The media has taken a stance to get people to act in one direction or another in order to serve their own goals. In this selection of worksheets, we explore literature that is intentionally directing the reader towards a false thought. We show students how to read into the context of these types of statements and where to take these types of thoughts.

Fake News Worksheets To Print:

Finding Instances - Put an X next to the things that could indicate a false report.

Satire - This worksheet will have you learn to distinguish between these closely related rhetorical devices.

Same and Different - We continue to compare these two concepts some more.

Complete It - Finish off your thoughts on this topic in a series of sentences.

Who Does It Hurt? - In your opinion, is false journalism a big problem? Why or why not?

Wrong Intention - You will look for stories that are headed down the wrong direction. Print it out, take a screenshot, or, if it is on television, record the details on this worksheet.

Is That Legit? - Who do you think is the intended audience for this piece might have been?

Evaluating News for Bias - Ask and answer (if possible) the following questions about the assigned article. You may need to do some background research or factchecking to get the answers.

Clips and Slips - Is the information backed up with facts and/or evidence?

Videos - This will help students learn to evlauate a video clip.

Headlines - You will evaluate a series of new pieces.

Social Media - Find a headline on social media that you think may be fake and evaluate it.

My Sources - Put the sources you use in order from what you think is the most reliable/objective source to what you think is the least reliable/objective source.

Analyzing the Media - The same item is typically covered by multiple news outlets. Find coverage of the same event by two different sources. Compare and contrast them.

Reliable? - Was this article found in a large, major, well-known media provider? If not, is information about the organization and physical location of the source of the article readily available?

What Is the Purpose of Fake News?


In today's times, the dependency on online blog posts and news posted on social media platforms has drastically increased globally. The general audience has developed a habit of instantly believing the content they read online instead of confirming this information through credible sources.


Many companies and online content development agencies take advantage of the common audience's habits and tend to spread fake news for multiple different reasons. But what is and what is not fake news? What is the purpose behind it? Who is motivated to do such a thing and why?


What is It?


Fake news or false information is when an individual, a group of people, a legal entity, or a content-providing agency deliberately spreads a hoax or misleading information to achieve the desired purpose. The headlines or the information is intentionally twisted to gain a certain reaction or response from the audience.


For example, recently, the misleading information regarding curing the coronavirus using garlic caught a lot of attention globally. The fake viral content caused many people to believe in it, try it, and recommend it to other people. However, in reality, there was no factual information backing this claim, and many healthcare professionals warned the public against it.


What it is Not


Not every misleading information can be categorized as fake news. If a piece of information is expressed as an opinion, satire, or has been reported falsely by mistake, it is not called fake news. People or entities usually make sure to recognize their mistakes and make the necessary correction to avoid public displeasure.


What is the Purpose Of It?


Political Reasons


Since democracy has become the global norm, many political parties have been seen spreading false information or making inaccurate accusations to deceive the general public's perception. For instance, it is very common to see a defeated political group spread false narratives about the voting process being manipulated. That is true of both parties.


The purpose behind doing this is to gain public sympathy, challenge the system, and achieve political goals through unfair means.


Financial Reasons


Many times, businesses are spreading erroneous narratives regarding a competing company to damage the competition's business to gain a higher market share. If the untruth is twisted enough to convince and change consumer perception, the deceiving business enjoys financial gains through higher sales.


To Attract Attention/Clickbait


Many content-creating companies who post their work online require the audience to click their particular ad or website link to make money or sell a product. The content is twisted to serve as clickbait to attract the audience's attention.


Consumers tend to successfully fall for the misleading fake information and click on the company's webpage.


Although the internet has become a great source of information, it is hard to distinguish between facts and fake news. People and entities rely on the spreading of these types of narratives to achieve their particular goals and gain a benefit through unfair means.