Is it Real or is it Fake? A Discussion About the News

Fake news became a big story during the Trump-Clinton campaign, but it's been part of the U.S. political culture since the founding of our nation. Now, mostly because of social media and questionable "news" sites, it's easier than ever to spread vicious rumors, half-baked theories, and outright lies. Donna Shaw, chair of The College of New Jersey's Department of Journalism and Professional Writing, will offer some advice on how we can recognize fake news, and avoid passing it along to our friends. Free and open to the public. Shaw is an associate professor who teaches Media Law, News Editing, Data Journalism, and an advanced writing course called Beats & Deadlines. Her specialty is science writing, concentrating in particular on how money and politics affect medicine. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and Journalism from Penn State University, and a master’s degree from Columbia University, where she was a Knight-Bagehot fellow in Economics and Business Journalism. Before coming to TCNJ, she was a reporter and editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and an editor for WebMD.