Fake News Is for Real

The Government Information Center and Magazines and Newspaper Center are collaborating to share United States history of the First Amendment and the press. Learn about fact checking, historical trials that pushed the boundaries of free speech and fake news that made real news!  

In 1734 publisher Peter Zenger faced one of the first libel cases in the United States for publishing articles critical of the royal government and was found not guilty. In 1791 The Bill of Rights is adopted, with the First Amendment granting freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion and petition.  

The business of journalism in the Internet Age has meant cutting back on traditional fact-checking work. At the same time, fact-checking politicians’ claims is a public part of journalism. Intense fact-checking has grown in the last decade and a well-known part of the news landscape. Questions to ponder through the exhibit: What is the First Amendment? What is a reliable source? How do you check your facts? Can you trust what you read in a newspaper or online?

This is a Politics & Current Affairs program. The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.