“The biggest scoundrel in the whole country is and will always be the deceiver” – Hoffmann von Fallersleben was well aware of this when he first wrote down this sentence in the middle of the 19th century. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and the like are the new platforms on which anyone can post whatever suits them, outside the journalistic norm. It is not easy to recognize what is a bad joke or a deliberately false statement, which makes it all the more dangerous.
Misinformation is not limited to bullying at school. False reports have been brought into everyone’s consciousness by politics and recently in connection with the Corona pandemic. A false report has the potential to exacerbate a crisis in a very dangerous way.
False reports (fakes, hoaxes) are increasingly making the rounds on social media networks and the Internet, causing uncertainty not only among children and young people but also among adults. There is often a lack of awareness of the effects of such reports. There is a lack of knowledge about how to verify news and reports and thus expose them as false information.
The Schleswig-Holstein Library Authority of the Schleswig-Holstein Library Association has initiated the ‘Fake Hunter’ business game. Fake Hunter has also received a very positive response outside of Schleswig-Holstein. Since the summer of 2019, Fake Hunter will be extended to the entire German-speaking region. Training is provided for facilitators, who will use their skills in conveying information and research competence.
Libraries are the natural allies of publishers and media professionals. Librarians are educational partners of schools and are able to systematically teach media consumers of all ages how to deal critically and appropriately with digital and analog media. The more people who follow the example from Schleswig-Holstein, the better.
Further information is available at http://www.diefakehunter.de/.
