Faith and Fake News: A Guide to Consuming Information Wisely

Librarian and former missionary Wightman brings together faith and fact-checking in this primer on how Christians can practice love for others on social media platforms. Wightman began on this path in 2020, when she began teaching a six-week course—Faith and Fake News—at her church. Alarmed by the societal divisions exacerbated by social media, Wightman wanted to give her fellow worshippers the tools to evaluate online information and to interact without judgment with people who express opposing beliefs. To accomplish that goal in this book, the author offers fundamentals about social media tools, defines basic online terms, and explains the nature of popular social media platforms. The book also provides a plethora of tools for evaluating sources with the understanding that not everyone who posts has the expertise to express reasoned views on the topics; still, they may offer their opinions. Misinformation and disinformation abound, the author stresses. She also calls for kindness and respect of others.