Don’t miss next week’s webinar on AI and fact-checking!

Have you been fooled by AI? We can help.

Maybe you got a chuckle from a recent artificial intelligence-generated hoax — an image of Bigfoot towering over a man that was created using descriptive text. But what's less funny is that AI can develop sophisticated content in the blink of an eye that can deceive and do harm. AI has further muddied the waters of the misinformation landscape, making it harder than ever to tell what's real from what's fake. And bad actors are delighted to oblige. That's why we want to be sure you don't miss our free webinar How to fact-check in the AI age on Tuesday, Aug. 8. We will discuss the fundamentals of fact-checking and show you how to debunk false images and videos, both AI-generated and human-made. Please join us at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The webinar will be led by the News Literacy Project's Dan Evon and DeMario Phipps-Smith. Dan writes for RumorGuard™, which uses examples of viral misinformation to help people learn to separate fact from fiction. He previously was a reporter for Snopes, the internet's oldest fact-checking site. DeMario leads news literacy training for adults around the country and has a background in digital media at various publications, including his hometown paper, the Chicago Sun-Times. Don't miss out – register now! For a future founded on facts, The News Literacy Project

Support news literacy by donating today.

Visit us at newslit.org, checkology.org, newslitnation.org and rumorguard.org. The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit, is building a national movement to advance the practice of news literacy throughout American society, creating better informed, more engaged and more empowered individuals — and ultimately a stronger democracy. The News Literacy Project 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015

Free webinar series from the News Literacy Project starts April 12: Register now!

Learn the skills you need to find trustworthy news

Hello Residents of Franklin, It seems like finding credible information and sources online gets trickier by the day. But when you sign up for our free webinar series How to find news you can trust, you will discover how to outsmart the bad actors that flood our newsfeeds with misinformation. The series begins a week from today — April 12 — and runs for three consecutive Wednesdays, starting at 4 p.m. ET. Register once for the whole series. REGISTER HERE April 12: Session 1 | What is quality journalism? News outlets help us make informed decisions, but the process of creating news isn't always transparent. In this session, journalists Brandon Pope of WBEZ Chicago and Molly Parker of Lee Enterprises will discuss how they build credibility and trust with the public and will describe the standards that guide their newsgathering. This session will pull the curtain back on the practice of quality, ethical journalism and its mission to inform us accurately. Brandon is an award-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist, media critic and columnist, and host of the podcasts On The Block: Powered by Block Club Chicago on CW26 and the MAKING series from WBEZ and NPR. Molly, a ProPublica distinguished fellow, is an investigative reporter with Lee Enterprises' Public Service Team, where she works with regional reporters in 25 states to produce impactful, data-driven local journalism. April 19: Session 2 | Understanding news media bias People frequently perceive and allege bias in news coverage, but what does this really mean? What makes a piece of news biased, and who decides? Journalist Amethyst J. Davis, founder of the Harvey World Herald, a hyperlocal, independent newsroom in Illinois, and Stephanie Casanova of Signal Cleveland, a nonprofit newsroom that fuses community building with local news reporting, join us to discuss how the journalistic standards we learned about in Session 1 can be applied to confront and avoid news bias. This session will empower you to evaluate the fairness, accuracy and objectivity of news coverage. Amethyst oversees growth and development, including outlining editorial trajectory and content, at the Harvey World Herald. A member of the community advisory board for Chicago Public Media, she is a Casey Fellow with the National Association of Black Journalists Black News & Views. Stephanie is the criminal justice reporter with Signal Cleveland and formerly covered criminal justice and breaking news at the Chicago Tribune. April 26: Session 3 | How fact-checking works Fact-checking organizations are taking up the charge to combat the spread of misinformation, debunking some of the most viral content springing up on social media. Fact-checkers Dan Evon of the News Literacy Project and Rafael Olavarría of Factchequeado will talk about their work and share skills that you can use to check the accuracy of information. Dan debunks viral rumors for NLP's RumorGuard™ platform, which empowers the public to push back against misinformation. Prior to joining NLP in 2022, Dan worked as a reporter for Snopes, the internet's oldest fact-checking site. Rafael, a Venezuelan immigrant who fled political persecution, began his journalism career as a producer and writer for CNN and won 11 Southeast Emmy Awards as a multimedia journalist with Univisión. We hope to see you next week! REGISTER HERE For a future founded on facts, The News Literacy Project P.S. If you miss one of the sessions, don't worry, we'll share recordings of all three.

Visit us at newslit.org, checkology.org, newslitnation.org and rumorguard.org. The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit, is building a national movement to advance the practice of news literacy throughout American society, creating better informed, more engaged and more empowered individuals — and ultimately a stronger democracy. The News Literacy Project 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015

Resist misinformation: Join the RumorGuard!

Stop falsehoods in their tracks.

The News Literacy Project has launched a new resource to help you stay informed and push back against misinformation: RumorGuard. RumorGuard empowers you to know what's safe to share and what should be stopped in its tracks. At RumorGuard.org, you'll see posts that debunk viral rumors, but we don't stop there: Our team lays out exactly how you can determine that a claim doesn't hold weight, based on five factors for credibility. Join the RumorGuard: Subscribe to receive emails about how you can help stop the spread of misinformation online. Each RumorGuard post takes you through the facts behind a specific viral rumor, then breaks down the five factors that you can use to verify any claim: Authenticity: Is it authentic? Source: Has it been posted or confirmed by a credible source? Evidence: Is there evidence that proves the claim? Context: Is the context accurate? Reasoning: Is it based on solid reasoning? You can dig deeper into news literacy techniques on RumorGuard and take action for facts. Join the RumorGuard We built RumorGuard to give you the ability to debunk viral falsehoods, but it's also the foundation for our shared future founded on facts. Help us push back against misinformation by signing up and sharing RumorGuard posts with your family and friends. For a future founded on facts, The News Literacy Project

Support news literacy by donating today.

Misinformation & fact checking resources

The "How to Spot Misinformation" sessions at the Senior Center went well. Aside from some tech issues the material was covered and folks should have tools to help them determine how valid the info they find is.

You can download the handout I prepared with additional resources

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zAoFGnvKFnt7jyFxj7e5HZPWCYshNUyz/view?usp=sharing

You can also download this misinformation infographic from the News Literacy Project  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vRVUZ9bM1HhSeNN8lGHfAUIJ5_DvqZm2/view?usp=sharing

Misinformation & fact checking resources

How to Spot Misinformation Online - Self-directed course, free, start anytime

Attention seniors (but anyone who wants to know really!) 

"This free short course from MediaWise for Seniors will teach you how to tell what’s true and false on the internet. By looking at examples of political, health, travel and climate misinformation, you will learn techniques for identifying false information and how to seek out trustworthy sources.

Christiane Amanpour, Joan Lunden, Lester Holt, Hari Sreenivasan and Dave Jorgenson — MediaWise Ambassadors — will also pop in to share their advice as experienced journalists to help you navigate information on platforms like Google, Facebook and more."

You can register for a Poynter account, then register for the free course.

https://www.poynter.org/courses/how-to-spot-misinformation-online/

How to Spot Misinformation Online - Self-directed course, free, start anytime

This is not the only course available via MediaWise for Seniors 

https://www.poynter.org/mediawise-education-resources/

Washington Post: Fact Checker - what we now know about Jan 6, 2021

Fact Checker | The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol: A guide to what we now know https://t.co/diNdP9aSym

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1479105586583138312

or directly to the Washington Post page (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/06/january-6-attack-capitol-guide-what-we-now-know/

Washington Post: Fact Checker  - what we now know about Jan 6, 2021

Fact check: "The Southwest Airlines mess and rumors of a vaccine walkout"

"What are you going to believe: Official statements or social media?

The Southwest Airlines cancellations over the weekend are a good example of how news travels on two different tracks today.

In the part of the United States that relies on traditional media, rumors that the cancellations were the result of a pilot protest over coronavirus vaccine mandates were dismissed because, well, there was no evidence. Official entities, such as the airline, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Southwest pilots union, all issued statements saying the rumors were false."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/13/southwest-airlines-snafu-rumors-vaccine-walkout/

Fact check: "The Southwest Airlines mess and rumors of a vaccine walkout" (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)

Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - May 11

 Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting

Virtual Meeting (Link in agenda)

Agenda

• Budget Flyer / Video distribution
• Generate ideas to support two-way communication within community

Agenda doc also contains connection info

https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/community_relations_sub_comm_agenda_5_11_2021.pdf

Community Relations Subcommittee Meeting - May 11

Schools budget up for review at the Finance Committee budget hearing May 4

The 4th and final of the budget hearings for FY 2022 held by the Finance Committee is scheduled for May 4.

• May 4 Agenda = Schools (Franklin K-12, Tri-County, Norfolk Aggie)
  

 https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/_2021-05-04_finance_committee_agenda_.pdf

 

Additional details on the FY 2022 budget can be found
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget/pages/fy-22-budget-materials

 

Additional details on the Franklin School district budget can be found

https://www.franklinps.net/district/school-district-budget

 

The Franklin School Committee fact sheet for FY 2020  https://drive.google.com/file/d/154tNXBolLLkq4kPlMwr4mjfp4XgNnUvq/view?usp=sharing 

 

Social Security Admin: New Fact Sheets Added to Your Online Statement

New Fact Sheets Added to Your Online Statement 04/01/2021 03:00 PM EDT Your Social Security Statement, available on my Social Security, tells you how much you or your family can expect to receive in disability, survivor, and retirement benefits. We've added new fact sheets to accompany the online Statement. These new fact sheets provide clarity and useful information, based on your age group and earnings situation. They […]

Visit the SSA Blog https://blog.ssa.gov/new-fact-sheets-added-to-your-online-statement/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The News Literacy Project - webinar for Seniors on fact-checking - Mar 31, 1:00 PM

Older adults — join us & @OlderAdultsTech / @seniorplanet Weds, Mar 31 (1 PM ET) for the 3rd in our series of #NewsLiteracy webinars, this one on fact-checking & digital verification. Gain skills to stick to the facts!

Sign up / spread the word —> https://t.co/KAJmRSxPje

cc: @AARP
https://twitter.com/NewsLitProject/status/1376969389233278977?

The News Literacy Project - webinar for Seniors on fact-checking - Mar 31, 1:00 PM

CommonWealth Magazine: "Baker stands up vaccine call center"

 

"GOV. CHARLIE BAKER unveiled a 500-person call center on Friday to help residents 75 and older book appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The center is intended to assist those without internet access or those having trouble navigating the current two-step process, which requires using a state website to find vaccine locations near them and then going to websites for those locations to actually book an appointment. The call center, reached by dialing 2-1-1 and selecting the option for help making a vaccine appointment, will handle the booking process for the individual or put them on a call-back list if no appointments are available.

The service will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with representatives who speak both English and Spanish. Translators for over 100 other languages will also be available upon request."

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/health/baker-stands-up-vaccine-call-center/

 

Gov Baker's press conference = https://youtu.be/u04KusqT2FI

 

 

One of the new Public Service Announcements (PSA's) on "Trust the Facts. Get the Vax." video link = https://youtu.be/ieT9k83bDaA

 

Washington Post: "Fact-checking Trump’s lies is essential. It’s also increasingly fruitless"

From The Washington Post, an article of interest for Franklin:

Daniel Dale met President Trump’s convention speech with a tirade of truth Thursday night — a tour de force of fact-checking that left CNN anchor Anderson Cooper looking slightly stunned.

The cable network’s resident fact-checker motored through at least 21 falsehoods and misstatements he had found in Trump’s 70-minute speech, breathlessly debunking them at such a pace that when he finished, Cooper, looking bemused, paused for a moment and then deadpanned, “Oh, that’s it?”

So, so much was simply wrong. Claims about the border wall, about drug prices, about unemployment, about his response to the pandemic, about rival Joe Biden’s supposed desire to defund the police (which Biden has said he opposes).

Dale is a national treasure, imported last year from the Toronto Star, where he won accolades for bravely tackling the Sisyphean task of fact-checking Trump. My skilled colleagues of The Washington Post Fact-Checker team, who recently published a whole book on the president’s lies, have similarly done their best to hold back the tide of Trumpian falsehoods.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/fact-checking-trumps-lies-is-essential-its-also-increasingly-pointless/2020/08/28/35fb41de-e947-11ea-bc79-834454439a44_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_sullivan-845am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

Unsupported = "fact-checkers opted to say there was 'no evidence'"

From the Poynter Institute we share this article:

Public data is the raw material with which fact-checkers work every day. Without it, the credibility of rating information as false — without being able to show the reasoning behind the decision — is weakened, no matter how obviously false the content seems. But there is a way to navigate this, even if data is not accessible. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when conspiracy theories and misinformation related to vaccines, thermometers, and miraculous prevention methods are gaining steam on social media, the fact-checking community has found a simple – and honest – way to say something is probably not 100% true. 

Fact-checkers are posting articles with intermediary rating labels such as “unsupported” and “no evidence” to alert audiences to highly dubious content. 

In the list of more than 7,800 fact-checks published by the CoronaVirusFacts alliance (http://poy.nu/alliancedatabase), the collaborative project that since January brings together 99 fact-checking organizations from around the world, there are at least 107 articles in which fact-checkers opted to say there was “no evidence” regarding the truthfulness of a certain piece of information rather than flagging it as completely “false”. One-third of these checks were produced in the last two months.

Continue reading the article online
https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2020/unsupported-a-powerful-rating-to-flag-covid-19-conspiracy-theories/

Franklin radar picked up via Twitter
https://twitter.com/Poynter/status/1283774388483940353?s=09

Unsupported = "fact-checkers opted to say there was 'no evidence'"

Census Bureau News Profile America Facts for Features: Halloween - 2019

Halloween: Oct. 31, 2019 PROFILE AMERICA FACTS FOR FEATURES: CB19-FF.08 Dating back 2,000 years to the Celtic festival of Samhain, Halloween is an ancient tradition associated with images of witches, ghosts and vampires. Today, Halloween has evolved into a celebration characterized by child-friendly activities like trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, and dressing in costumes. The following facts are made possible by the invaluable responses to the U.S. Census Bureau's surveys. We appreciate the public's cooperation as we continuously measure America's people, places and economy.  Trick or Treat! 41.1 million The estimated number of potential trick-or-treaters in 2018 — children ages 5 to 14. Source: 2018 Population Estimates, Table PEPASR6H 122.4 million The number of potential stops for trick-or-treaters to occupied housing units for the 2nd quarter of 2019. Source: Housing Vacancies and Homeownership, Table 8 59.1 million The number of housing units where trick-or-treaters had to climb steps in order to fill their bags full of candy in 2017. Source: 2017 American Housing Survey 16.4% The percentage of U.S. households who think their neighborhood has a lot of petty crime. Source: 2017 American Housing Survey Hauntingly Delicious Economic Statistics 1,342 The number U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2016. Sources: 2016 County Business Patterns, NAICS 311351, 311352 3,430 The number of U.S. confectionary and nut stores that sold candy and other confectionary products in 2016. Source: 2016 County Business Patterns, NAICS 445292 991 The number of formal wear and costume rental establishments in the United States in 2016. Source: 2016 County Business Patterns, NAICS 532220 Spooky Places Tombstone, Ariz. (estimated population 1,300) Source: 2018 Population Estimates Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. (estimated population 10,057) Source: 2018 Population Estimates Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (estimated population 7,202) Source: 2018 Population Estimates Yellville, Ark. (estimated population 1,170) Source: 2018 Population Estimates Transylvania County, N.C. (estimated population 34,215) Source: 20187 Population Estimates Slaughter Beach, Del. (estimated population 232) Source: 2018 Population Estimates Casper, Wyo. (estimated population 57,461) Source: 2018 Population Estimates Scarville, Iowa (estimated population 70) Source: 2018 Population Estimates

---

This is an official email from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us (http://www.census.gov/about/contact-us.html).