Starred review from July 4, 2022
Journalist Yasmin (If God Is a Virus, for adults) effectively explores contemporary media literacy’s barriers and how to overcome them in this eye-opening work told via contagion and vaccine metaphor. “Information spreads from one person to another, just like a virus,” the author writes in an introductory essay. What follows is a “navigation guide for the treacherous terrains of Bias, the craggy mountains of Groupthink, and the slippery ravines of Disinformation,” containing allegorical boosters needed to prevent disinformation infection. A chapter titled “Bias, Beliefs, and Why We Fall for BS” explains how brains process media and why they cling to biases; another, “News, Noise, and Nonsense,” uses Iraq War coverage to demonstrate how purportedly unbiased news outlets can influence a person’s perception of events depending on where—and when—information is dispensed. Insightful sidebars detailing how ideas are spread, along with photos and social media screenshots illustrating the dangers of groupthink, accompany approachable prose. In a time when “social media holds the power to radicalize people” or even cause death, as in the case of widespread misinformative Covid remedies, Yasmin encourages readers to “BS-proof our brain” in this conversation-starting handbook. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lilly Ghahremani, Full Circle Literary.
December 1, 2022
Gr 10 Up-Yasmin is a doctor, journalist, and published author who tackles facts by meticulously moving through topics, such as hoaxes and conspiracy theories, to share tips on discerning fact from fiction in a media-rich environment of the 21st-century, opening with a story about a viral Facebook post related to COVID-19. Adeptly breaking down how information has been shared for centuries, the book provides language to navigate the murkiness of the truth. Yasmin's efficiency means each section is succinct and digestible, not preachy or overexplained. As a guidebook, it features realistic examples coupled with a straightforward method for consuming, processing, and sharing knowledge with a natural flow; accessibility is what Yasmin achieves. Another strength is her inclusion of general principles of information dissemination throughout the ages and then moving into analyzing bias and managing contentious conversation on social media platforms. Her goal to help readers "disentangle the truth" is apparent and commendable. The examination of information by asking questions and sharing tricks is a helpful guide for teens, but deeply relevant for adults, too. VERDICT Educators will applaud a book that helps navigate an already overwhelming problem and curious teens will be rewarded with helpful tips for media consumption. It's a book every library and classroom should have.-Alicia Abdul
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from July 1, 2022
How to navigate the information superhighway and engage with news like a pro. The widespread dissemination of false information is not new. In 1683, German explorer Englebert Kaempfer went to Asia to verify centuries-old reports that lambs were growing...on trees! The term fake news is also not new, appearing in the title of a Harper's Magazine article from 1925. The explosion of social media along with the dwindling of local newspapers has sent people to the internet as a main source of information. Doctor and journalist Yasmin breaks down the differences among misinformation, disinformation, and, perhaps most insidious of all, malinformation, which involves sharing real information in a way that maliciously distorts its meaning. Coverage of the Covid-19 crisis and the toppling of a statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq in 2003 are offered as prime examples of information manipulation. Complicating matters is Poe's Law, which describes how satire and parody are often received as fact and vice versa. From explanations of how the news is gathered, who decides what is news, and the myth of objectivity, the book moves on to the addictive nature of social media. Yasmin offers 10 concrete steps for constructively handling disagreement on hot-button subjects. There's also a clear walk-through of the Socratic method and a useful step-by-step method for protecting yourself from being misled. Laden with entertainingly presented tips and techniques, this informative overview will encourage further exploration and contemplation. A savvy, accessible, and critical guide to media literacy. (sources, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)
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