LibGuides: Fake News and Information Literacy: Fake Images & Statistics

Identifying misleading statistics and graphs

3 ways to spot a bad statistic
An entertaining TED talk by data journalist Mona Chalabi.
How statistics can be misleading
TEDEd animation by Mark Liddell.
How to spot a misleading graph
TEDEd animation by Lea Gaslowitz.
Misleading axes on graphs
The purpose of a publication-stage data visualization is to tell a story. That may or may not be reflective of the actual data set.
Using and Misusing Data
From a Fordham University Libraries guide on Fake News.

Deepfakes

This blog article "Deepfakes: What They Are, Why They Matter", describes deepfakes as

"...a technique in which artificial intelligence-based technology is used to alter or produce video content. Essentially, a deepfake is a video of something that looks like it occurred, but truly did not."

Can You Tell When a Video is Fake
PBS' Above the Noise -- 6-minute video.
Deep Fake Videos are Getting Real and That's a Problem
A 10-minute video from the Wall Street Journal; interview with Berkeley computer science professor Hany Farid.

Checking Images

Foto Forensics
A free site that allows you to upload a jpeg, png, WebP, or URL for analysis.
How to Check Images With Google
A brief tutorial on using Google reverse image search.
TinEye Reverse Image Search
Upload an image or enter a URL.
The hidden signs that can reveal a fake photo
Wen, Tiffanie. The Hidden Signs That Can Reveal a Fake Photo. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170629-the-hidden-signs-that-can-reveal-if-a-photo-is-fake. Accessed 26 Jan. 2022.
How to Detect Faked Photos
“How to Detect Faked Photos.” American Scientist, 22 Feb. 2017, https://www.americanscientist.org/article/how-to-detect-faked-photos.

Learn more

Damned Lies and Statistics by Joel Best
ISBN: 9780520953512
Publication Date: 2012-08-07
Here, by popular demand, is the updated edition to Joel Best's classic guide to understanding how numbers can confuse us. In his new afterword, Best uses examples from recent policy debates to reflect on the challenges to improving statistical literacy. Since its publication ten years ago, Damned Lies and Statistics has emerged as the go-to handbook for spotting bad statistics and learning to think critically about these influential numbers.
How Algorithms Create and Prevent Fake News by Noah Giansiracusa
ISBN: 1484271548
Publication Date: 2021-07-15
"It's a joy to read a book by a mathematician who knows how to write. [...] There is no better guide to the strategies and stakes of this battle for the future." ---Paul Romer, Nobel Laureate, University Professor in Economics at NYU, and former Chief Economist at the World Bank.