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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
anguard V THE
MONDAY JAN 23 2017 VOL 59 ISS 18
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International Residence Hall Dorm will open in the fall to give students culturally inclusive experience. Page 3
Tips To Identify Fake News Fake news is common, but easy to avoid. We share some tips to know what’s reliable. Page 11
Four Straight Losses The Women’s basketball suffers fourth loss in a row, struggles to get groove back. Page 9
Jeremih to perform at Mitchell Center
USA Senior Rafael Scott beat his previous school record last week. Photo courtesy of USAJaguars.
Track & field have record-setting weekend By Alanna Whitaker | Editor-in-Chief
Two USA track and field athletes had standout performances this past week at the Samford Stand Alone Multi and Vanderbilt Invitational. Senior Rafael Scott broke his own school record with a 6.59 second time to win the men’s 60-meter dash at the Vanderbilt Invitational. The Lucedale, Mississippi, native’s time is the second fastest in the NCAA and the best in the Sun Belt. “Rafael Scott’s school record was definitely a highlight,” USA track and field head coach Paul Brueske said to USAJaguars. “He had a very good start out of the blocks and that is what made the
difference.” In her first collegiate performance, Emilie Berge fell 70 points shy of recording a school record in the pentathlon, which consists of five events including sprint hurdling, high jump, spot put, long jump, and a flat race. Berge’s overall score of 3,923 put her second on the Jaguar’s all-time list but first in the Sun Belt. She finished 100-plus points ahead of Sarah Goodale of Vanderbilt who placed second in the event, according to USAJaguars. Berge recorded over 700 points in four of the five events and her was highlighted by a 927 score in the 60m-hurdle after registering a time of 8.92. “It was really cool for her to
get her first win,” James said to USAJaguars. “She’s not that far off the school record. I was really impressed with how well she ran the 800 after training over the Christmas break. She did well, and we’re excited about that.” At the Samford Stand Alone Meet, senior Berron Tyson placed fifth in the heptathlon leading his teammate Chris Taylor, who finished eighth. Tyson ended the day with a total of 4,470 points, and Taylor finished with a score of 4,315. USA’s other two sophomore representatives, Olivia Swan and Taylor Young, finished in 16th and 18th place in the pentathlon, respectively, separated by 674 Continued on page 8
Jeremih is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. Photo from The Shade Room
By Richard Narramore | JagLife Editor
Contemporary R&B and Pop singer Jeremih will perform at the Mitchell Center for the Jaguar Productions Spring concert this coming April. Jeremih made his debut with his single “Birthday Sex,” which peaked at number four on Billboard Hot 100 in 2009. In 2010, Jeremih won multiple awards at the Chicago Music Awards, including Best New Entertainer of The Year and R&B Entertainer of The Year. Jeremih’s latest album, “Late Nights: The Album,” released in Continued on page 5
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Vanguard Upcoming January Events THE
University of South Alabama Alpha Hall South Room 336, Mobile, Ala., 36688 Tel: 460-6898 I Fax: 414-8293 Advertising: (678) 644-7838 thevanguardeditor@gmail.com
24 Tuesday
60 Seconds or Bust Student Center Ballroom 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
27 Friday
Henna Tattoo Fundraiser Student Center 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
STAFF Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Copy Editor Opinion Editor Life Editor Sports Editor Web Editor
Alanna Whitaker Marissa Mason Micaela Walley Joel Goode Richard Narramore Casie Carr Cydnei Nettles
Reporters Krisha Amin Morgan Parton
Advertising
Advertising Manager Spencer Schuneman Advertising Rep. Tim Holloway Graphic Designer Alex Jackson
26 Thursday
JP Comedy Night Featuring Rob Haze Student Center Terrace 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Healing Women Lecture Series by Dr. Esther Katz Marx Library 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night Student Center 9 p.m.-11 p.m.
28 Saturday
30 Monday First Generation College Students Meet and Greet Student Center 11 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs Georgia State Mitchell Center 7:05 p.m.- 10 p.m.
Men’s Basketball vs Georgia Southern Mitchell Center 7:05 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
Management Advising J. Sellers J. Aucoin Accounting Kathy Brannan
Distribution Distribution Cory Judkins Cameron Hall
Mission The Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of the University of South Alabama, serves its readership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes firmly in its First Amendment rights.
Send letters and guest columns to: thevanguardeditor@gmail.com Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, e-mail thevanguardeditor@gmail.com. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The first copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notified.
To request additional issues at a stand near you, email: vanguarddistribution@gmail.com
USA Crime Report
251-460-6312 1-13-2017 Possession Drug Paraphernalia, MJ Delta 6 Contact worker arrested for possession of substance that may be marijuana, possession of grinder 1-13-2017 Damage to Unoccupied Vehicle The Grove Bldg 13 Passenger side door damaged. No identification information left 1-14-2017 Bicycle Theft New Hall Grey bicycle and lock stolen from victim’s residence 1-15-2017 Domestic Incident The Grove Bldg 20 Domestic incident took place
1-17-2017 Theft of Property Faculty Club House University keys were stolen 1-17-2017 Theft of Property USA Intramural Fields A wallet and its contents were stolen including money, debit cards, and medication prescription 1-18-2017 Property Damage Hit & Run Computer Service Pking Lot Driver of green Nissan Altima backed out of parking lot and struck victim’s vehicle. 1-18-2017 Theft of Property Victim’s headphones values at $185 reported stolen
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NEWS
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Managing Editor | Marissa Mason smm1421@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
USA will open multicultural International House Residence Hall this coming fall
Beta 1 is located on the University of South Alabama’s campus. Photo by Jake Cannon
By Krisha Amin | Reporter
Beginning next fall, the University of South Alabama will introduce the International House Residence Hall, formerly known as Beta 1, as a housing option. The multicultural environment is available for all registered students, regardless of major and class, who are passionate about cross-cultural understanding, dynamic friendships with likeminded peers, and a distinct intercultural learning experience. Beta 1 was chosen to host the International House Residence Hall due to the design of the living unit. The layout allots a maximum number of beds and a full kitchen for students who wish to participate. The International House Residence Hall will be ideal for students who are fervent about new cultures, beliefs, customs, languages, study abroad, worldly issues, and more. USA Housing
partnered with Academic Affairs to make this progressive opportunity available to students in the fall of 2017. Dr. Christine Rhine, USA German professor and international studies program director, said that this proposal came about through discussions she had with Dr. David Johnson, USA provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, about USA’s grander objective, global engagement. The objective aims to cultivate a vibrant global community on campus. Rhine had a similar opportunity to live in a multicultural environment her undergraduate years and believes that USA students will reap the same benefits of living at the International House Residence Hall. “I had the chance to live in housing similar to this as an undergraduate student, both in the United States and Germany,
and consequently was able to make lasting friendships and have experiences and conversations that helped shape who I am today,” Rhine said.” “Our hope is that students will gain a better understanding of our world through increased interactions with different kinds of people, customs, and beliefs,” Rhine said. “Hearing others’ perspectives, about their lives and views, can help us better define who we are as citizens in this increasingly connected and everevolving world.” Josiah Perry, a freshman biomedical sciences major, plans to live on campus next year and is interested in an international living experience. He shared his previous experiences of living with an international student. “Besides gifting me with a very good friend, the experience allowed me to appreciate the cultural viewpoint of someone from a vastly different background
than me,” Perry said. International House residents will determine what cultural activities are offered. Activities may include international films, cultural celebrations, dance and music, guest speakers for current events and discussions about prominent global issues. As part of USA’s housing application process, all students will have the option to indicate whether or not they are interested in living with an international student. The roommate selection process for those students who wish to live in the International House will be identical to all residence halls and the room rates will be similar to that of other rooms with identical designs. In addition, students that wish to live in the International House Residence Hall next fall should contact Rhine at crinne@ southalabama.edu.
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NEWS
Managing Editor | Marissa Mason smm1421@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
Women’s March on Washington spreads to Mobile By Alanna Whitaker | Editor-in-Chief
The Women’s March on Washington inspired more than 600 sister demonstrations around the world this past Saturday, according to reports by the BBC and the New York Times. The worldwide protest aimed to raise awareness for women’s rights and other social issues. The march began as a grassroots movement in response to Donald Trump’s victorious campaign for the U.S. presidency. For many politically left and progressive individuals, the new president represents a hostile political climate for the rights of women and other minorities as well as religious freedom. The protest in Washington, D.C., may have amassed more
participants than President Trump’s inauguration ceremony, which occurred the day before, according to the BBC. City officials estimate as many as half a million individuals gathered in the city for the Women’s March. Protests appeared in all 50 U.S. states and on all seven continents. Varied reports suggest more than 2 million protesters worldwide participated in sister demonstrations. Locally, Mobilians marched at the Public Safety Memorial Park. Residents also traveled to Pensacola, Florida, where as many as 2,000 protesters gathered, according to the Pensacola News Journal. Local protesters cited a variety
Protestors posed for a picture in Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Linda Zunas via Twitter.
Image courtesy of womenmarch.com
of reasons for joining the sister march, according to WKRG, including reproductive rights, paternity leave, and rape culture. One counter protester appeared at the Pensacola Women’s March. A masked man was photographed and filmed holding a sign with the message “You deserve rape.” Some protestors responded to his message with hugs. However,
the man was eventually unmasked and ran away. Other marches occurred throughout the state in cities like Tuscaloosa, and as many as 5,000 protesters rallied in Birmingham, according to city police. For more information about the Women’s March on Washington and its sister marches, visit www.womensmarch.com.
A man holds a sign that reads “You deserve rape” while protestors hug him. Photo courtesy of Laura Baltazar via Facebook.
LIFE Continued from page 1
2015. Included on the album was “Don’t Tell Em,” featuring artist YG, which won the iHeartRadio Hip Hop/ R&B Song of the Year in 2015. He was also nominated at the Billboard Music Awards for the same song in 2015. The announcement was made during the Jaguar Productions Studio 63: Reveal Party when Jaguar Productions Music Chair Zane Patterson made the reveal. DJ OooWee turned the student center ballroom into a nightclub for the Jaguar Productions event. The laser lights and mocktails created a nightlife scene as well as having to show your JagID and receive an “X” on your hand as you walked in. Some students clung to the walls and mingled with friends while others let loose on the dance floor as Ooowee turned out thrilling mashups and club favorites. DJ OooWee placed at battle of
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Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
the DJs, which was hosted by the African-American Student Association, last fall. Patterson continued on to say that he hoped to bring a sense of nightlife by having a reveal party and live music. Patterson said he was pleased with everyone coming out after putting in hard work to put together the reveal party and is excited for the Spring Concert. The Spring Concert is being held April 8 at the Mitchell Center. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m. Advance tickets for USA students is $15. General admission is $25. All tickets will be $25 the day of the show. Patterson also said that Jaguar Productions has many more events planned for the semester. The 60 Seconds or Bust challenge is coming up Jan 24. Other events are scheduled such as Battle of the Hearts Karaoke Night, and a poker night later on.
Jeremih is scheduled to perform at the Spring Concert this coming April.
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Dr. Katie Malozzi recently was appointed as a full-time staff physician for the University of South Alabama Student Health Center. Prior to her appointment to USA, Dr. Malozzi was a family medicine staff physician at Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Biloxi, Miss. Dr. Malozzi previously served as a family medicine staff physician and United States Navy Senior Medical Officer at Naval Health Branch Clinic Gulfport in Gulfport, Miss. She earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia and completed a family medicine internship and residency at Naval Hospital Pensacola in Pensacola, Fla., where she served as chief resident. Dr. Malozzi is board-certified in family medicine. To make an appointment, call
(251) 460-7151.
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The USA Student Health Center is located at 5870 Alumni Drive on USA’s main campus. Student Health Services are available during each semester to all students actively enrolled in the University. In addition, the center has sports medicine services available for students and collaborates closely with the athletics department and all university athletes.
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Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
LIFE
Satori offers more than coffee for USA students By Marissa Mason | Managing Editor
The Independent Music Collective (IMC) is teaming up with the University of South Alabama and Satori Coffee House to host music events that are free for all USA students to attend. This week, they hosted Heath Underwood, a former USA student, along with Folk artist Ed Snodderly. The night was filled with casual drinks and indie music. Underwood opened in the small, packed room at the back of Satori Coffee House. “It used to be a record store I visited a lot,” Underwood said. “This was the place for music before it was a coffee shop, so it means a lot to come back here for music. I have a lot of history in this listening room,” said Underwood. People sat in front of the stage and lined the walls. Extra chairs
Ed Snodderly played at Satori Coffee House. Photo by Jake Cannon.
were brought in throughout the night to accommodate the growing crowd. “It’s an opportunity for me to see my students in another venue- not in the classroom- and that’s great,”
USA professor Becky McLaughlin said. Between songs, people chatted and grabbed drinks. The musicians talked to the audience and made jokes until everyone settled and
was ready to listen again. The atmosphere was casual and friendly as the performers told stories about their songs and played songs they were still tweaking. “You want people who are having a good time but still listening,” Snodderly said. “That’s the recipe for a cool night. I think IMC is passionate about that too. I love places like this because they promote thinking, creating and the arts,” he continued. “They provide an outlet for very grass-roots creating and it’s very fun,” Snodderly added. As the event ended, people hung around to talk to the artists. As the night drew to a close, no one seemed to be able to hide their excitement to see each other again at the next event. Satori Coffee House will host Will Johnson on Feb. 16 and David Dondero April 7.
LIFE
Life Editor | Richard Narramore ran1422@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
Jaw Gems dropped jaws at Soul Kitchen
Jaw Gem’s Bassist Andrew Scherzer (left) and keyboardist Ahmad Hassan Muhammad (right) at the Soul Kitchen on Jan. 18, 2017. Photo by Jake Cannon.
By Marissa Mason | Managing Editor
The dimly lit bar flashed with bursts of color while the stage directors conducted a final lights and mic check. Outside, security collected money and handed out a few checkered wristbands to the groups filtering in to enjoy a night of music and drinks. Most people loitered outside Soul Kitchen while waiting for the main act, Lettuce, who was scheduled to perform later that night. When Jaw Gems hit the stage, the crowd moved quickly inside. After just one song, the empty building filled with people eager to dance and experience what the band had to offer. The crowd varied in age and style and enjoyed the music and laid-back atmosphere. Some relaxed with friends and a drink in the back. Others danced in the front. Many people fell somewhere in between dancing and socializing, bobbing their heads to Jaw Gem’s downtempo beats, which are inspired by hip-hop and ‘80s synths. The two keyboardists communicated with hand signals to keep the rhythm with each other while the bassist and drummer set the beat.
The band created intricate songs with complex samples in real time. The music created nostalgic video game-type sounds, appealing simultaneously to modern tastes with rhythmic beats both jazzy and synthfilled. The band used ‘80s styled modulators to but added greater depth with a bassist and drummer. Bassist Andrew Scherzer described their music as “synth-heavy ratchet jazz with concise movement.” Jaw Gem’s was bathed in atmospheric lighting, the hues morphing between cool and warm tones to fit the music. With the alternating tempos, swinging synths, and stage lighting, each song engrossed the audience. Jaw Gems’ songs are instrumental and are meant to convey “chill and enjoyment of beautiful things,” Andrew Scherzer said. “I thought that they had some really interesting time signatures,” USA alumni Cass Kingston said. “The bassist laid down a couple of fat riffs that I enjoyed. It was very ambient.” More information about Jaw Gems visit jawgems.bandcamp.com.
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Sports Editor | Casie Carr cdc1526@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
Upcoming Games Home Men’s Basketball at Arkansas State Jan. 23 | 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs Georgia Southern Jan. 28 | 7:05 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs Georgia Southern 1/28 | 5 p.m. Men’s Tennis vs Charlotte 1/29 | 11 a.m.
Away Men’s Basketball at Arkansas State Jan. 23 | 7 p.m.
Continued from page 1
points. At the Vanderbilt Invitational, Sean Collins finished fourth in the men’s pole vault in his first meet of the season, according to USAJaguars. Two other Jaguars placed in the top 15. Preston Morrison placed twelfth, and Tyler Hollenbeck fifteenth in the event. Four men placed in the top 10 in the weight throw led by senior Zach Blahnik who posted a throw of 17.17m for sixth place, a personal record, according to USAJaguars. Blahnik also placed 25th in the men’s shot put at this weekend’s meet. Jan-Louw Kotze (17.06m) placed eighth in the weight throw, with Ethan Boyd (16.63m) and Thomas Boyd (16.29m) placing ninth and tenth, respectively, in the event. USA track and field will compete again in two weeks when they host the South Alabama Invitational in Birmingham.
WE’RE
HIRING ! The Vanguard is currently seeking a sports reporter. Applicants should write a brief summary explaining their interest in USA sports. Reporters are paid, trained, and get to travel with teams
Apply with resume and sample of writing to thevanguardeditor@gmail.com.
SPORTS
Men’s basketball falls to Mavericks, Trojans
USA guard Dederick Lee set a career-high record the during Arkansas-Little Rock match. Photo courtesy of USAJaguars By Casie Carr | Sports Editor
USA men’s basketball could not build a winning streak against Sun Belt foes Texas-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock last week, falling to 9-10 overall and 2-4 in the league. On Monday, the Jaguars fell 89-83 in a nationally broadcasted contest against the Mavericks (135, 3-2 SBC). Before the contest, South Alabama won all six games between the two schools since the Mavericks joined the league in 2013. “I thought it was a very hard fought game and that both teams played extremely well offensively,” Jaguar head coach Matthew Graves said. “Both teams made big shots. Unfortunately for us, we had a four-to-six-minute spell there where we had about five or six turnovers. “We kind of panicked and they went on a 16-0 run. When you’re playing a team as good as TexasArlington, that’s a hard thing to overcome. I thought our guys continued to fight and they got back into it. We just game up a couple plays short there in the end.” Although the Jaguars fought hard offensively throughout the contest, a 16-0 Maverick run in the second half was too much to overcome. The Jaguars had five
players end the night with doubledigit figures, tying a season high. Josh Ajayi lead the squad with 16 points. Nick Stover ended the night with 10 points and matched a season-best seven rebounds. Ken Williams and Georgi Boyanov contributed off the bench with 13 points each. South Alabama then traveled to Arkansas to face off with Little Rock, but would lose by 17 after a poor night of shooting just 35.3 percent from the floor. “Obviously I’m disappointed to start off the road trip with a double-digit loss,” USA head coach Matthew Graves said. “Certainly we have some things to address, especially on the offensive end. I felt like in the first half, defensively we gave ourselves a chance to stay in the game, but offensively we missed a couple of lay ups and some free throws. We never got into any kind of rhythm offensively, and we allowed our inability to score on offense affect our defense,” Graves added. Senior Don MuepoKelly and Ken Williams each had 10 points, with Dederick Lee finishing the night with a career-high eight points with a team best four assists and two steals. The Jaguars will try to split their Arkansas road trip against Arkansas State on Monday night with tipoff at 7 p.m.
SPORTS
Sports Editor | Casie Carr cdc1526@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
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Women’s basketball losing streak continues stripe, The Jaguars grabbed 24 rebounds and snatched away five steals. In the third quarter, Little Rock put up a 10-2 run that put them up by 16 points to put the Trojans on top. The Jags were unable to bring the score back under their control for the final minutes. “I thought we competed in the game,” Fowler said to USAJaguars. “In order to win you have to compete first, I thought we made some strides. We carried over from the last 15 minutes of the Arkansas State game to about 25 minutes of this game; we have to get that type of play for all 40 minutes a game.” South Alabama had three players that put up double digits. Chyna Ellis led the Jags with 15 points shooting 7-of-15. LaNeetra Guillory had 11 points making 4-of-8, including going 3-for-3 from the charity stripe, and pulled down three rebounds. Colby Davis finished the night with 10 points and a season high of seven assists. Kennedi Centers, who made her USA guard Candice Williams scored 12 points during the Arkansas State game. Courtesy of USAJaguars first collegiate start against the Trojans, recorded 8 points with one block and a steal. By Hannah Blackburn | Reporter them come within three points. were these last 15 minutes going “We have to believe in ourselves to define the team? Are we a team and keep up the confidence that The Jaguars’ 25 turnovers, that’s going to fight or fold up? I including a season-high 14 steals, The Lady Jags drop two more we can compete with any team in was proud that we were able to on the road, losing streak extends and defense were a large part of the Sun Belt Conference,” Fowler give ourselves a chance to win that said. to four straight. the effort. In the second half, the Jags limited the Red Wolves to 18 game.” The women’s basketball “You can’t say for certain where Sophomores Genesis team attempted to break their percent from the field and 12.5 that breakthrough will come in the Perrymond and Candice Williams percent from the three. losing streak with a Arkansas season, and we have to stay in the Guard Candice Williams lead the Jaguars with 16 and 12 road trip to face conference present. We have to worry about attempted a 3-point buzzer beater points, respectively. Kennedy opponents Arkansas State and every rep and possession, whether that would have taken the contest Centers came off the bench to add it’s in practice or in games. If we Little Rock, but fell short in both four points, five rebounds and a contests losing 56-53 and 71-54, into overtime, but it fell short. continue to work hard in practice, career-high six steals. “I thought we played a good 15 respectively. it will work over into our games.” Saturday’s game in Little Rock In Thursday’s meeting against minutes,” head coach Terry Fowler With the loss, the Jags fall to was a chance at redemption for the 7-11 overall and 2-5 in conference said to USAJaguars. the Red Wolves, the Jags had a “Arkansas State got off to a Jaguars while on the road, but the play. cold night of shooting with just 71-54 loss would leave the Jags to 29.7 percent from the field, and 20 good start in the second half The Jaguars look to break their carrying over from the first half return to Mobile empty handed. percent from the 3-point line. win streak as they host Georgia The Jags had a better night of Jags had a rally effort coming to get its lead up to 23 points. State on Thursday at 11 a.m. for From that point on we had to fight shooting with 43.1 percent in field the annual Pack the House game. back from a once 23 point deficit goals, 25 percent from the 3-point in the third quarter- with a 13-0 back to get back in the game. The line, and 9-of-13 from the charity coaches talked about character, run in the final quarter to help
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Opinion Editor | Joel Goode jdg908@jagmail.southalabama.edu Monday, Jan. 23, 2017
OPINION
Suggestions for students to recognize fake news articles By Krisha Amin | Reporter
Fake news is prolific but - with a healthy dose of skepticism fairly easy to recognize. Credible news organizations will provide concrete references to support the content of the article. This allows readers to verify the origin of the information themselves. There is sometimes a fine line between entertainment and truth value. Buzzfeed and The Guardian describe themselves as “global news organizations” but have published rumor-heavy and unsubstantiated content. For example, The Guardian published stories about Julian Assange endorsing Donald
Trump, for example, which never happened. Readers are encouraged to look beyond past the title of the article and look at the domain and URL of a website. Articles that stem from suspicious websites ending in the .com.co; .su; or any sort of social publishing site may be a red flag. There is a big difference between ABCNews.com and ABCNews.com.co, according to NPR News. Although these two sources have a similar URL appearance, the former is a legitimate news source while the latter is a selfdescribed news blog. Also, look for any primary sources that the article uses, such
YOUR N O I N I P O ) : S T N COU We know you have opinions. Share your thoughts with The Vanguard at thevanguardeditor@gmail.com
as a series of quotes or an absence of them. The more controversial a topic, the more attention it should receive from outside sources. ABCNews.com.co posted an article that stated former President Barack Obama signed an executive order to retract the Pledge of Allegiance. Obama is an official whose public statements are recorded. This article used false quotes to create a false story. Fake news can also proliferate through photo manipulation. Quotes and sources should be traceable to a specific archive. Check the “About Us” section of the news outlet. This section should enlighten readers about the intent, mission and ethics of the news outlet. The mission statement should be concise and void of strong language. Some descriptive terms in the “About Us” section to be wary of are any superlatives such as “greatest,” “biggest,” or “multiverse,” for example. Readers should also check for contradictory statements. For instance, a website may claim to be a news source while simultaneously claiming to be an entertainment source. Furthermore, be skeptical of websites that specifically have the key-words “Write for Us” on the main homepage. These are normally blog sites that are gilded in a news website format. These sites are prone to grammar issues. While mistakes are unavoidable, credible sources check their articles several times for grammatical issues before publishing. Credible news sources also take responsibility to publish retractions to avoid the spread of misinformation in the event of a mistake. Check to see if other news sources are reporting the same issue. This helps readers to fact check articles. If two articles are saying different things,
the content requires further investigation. Six media conglomerates control 90 percent of the mass media enterprises in the U.S., according to Forbes. Notable properties of the six main media corporations include CNN, Time, ABC, Wall Street Journal, Fox, NPR and NBC, to name a few. Avoid using a single news conglomerate in order to get a full understanding of a news concept. Conglomerates have an agenda and will tend to express them in their articles. Try branching outside of U.S. media empires and using international news sources such as Al Jazeera or BBC, for example. Consider if the article is intended to be satirical, such as those distributed by the theonion.com. Additionally, be aware that Facebook and Twitter curate news stories on your feed based upon your previous likes or follows. On President Donald Trump’s Inauguration day, Twitter lapsed into a brief panic over the alleged removal of Obama’s policies as well as references to LGBT from the White House website. Obama’s policies were archived, not removed, per protocol with each new presidential inductee. Many social media users were misinformed about the transition process until some Twitter users cleared up the matter. Finally, check yourself. Readers who are knowledgeable about a topic being discussed are less likely to be fooled by fake news. Take the extra step to educate yourself on topics that you care about, and don’t share a news link without reading it first. Have an opinion? Submit your thoughts to The Vanguard at thevanguardeditor.com and you may be published.
DISTRACTIONS
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