• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcasts
  • Support
Current

Current

Commentary. Reflection. Judgment.

  • Way of Improvement
  • About John
  • Vita
  • Books
  • Speaking
  • Media Requests

Museums in an Age of Fake News

John Fea   |  July 18, 2017

Gatineau_-_QC_-_Museum_of_Civilisation3
Canadian Museum of History (Wikipedia Commons)

This piece in the Toronto Star recently caught my attention.  In an age of fake news, museums are stepping up to the plate to help “separate fact from fiction and spark critical thinking.”

Here is a taste of reporter Stephanie Levitz’s article “In an era of ‘fake news’ people are turning to museums for facts.”

The value of people having tactile experiences with objects from history or science can’t be overstated, Beckel said. Where else but in a museum can one get a sense of the size of the dinosaurs?

But the value of challenging people’s understanding of those objects is equally important, said Lisa Leblanc, director of creative development for Canadian history hall at the Museum of History.

The “cacophony of channels” has put more information at people’s fingertips than ever before, but also allows for them to only engage with information that reinforces their world view, she said.

For museums to keep the public’s trust and also do their job sparking critical thinking, bursting those bubbles is important, she said.

Read the entire piece here.

If you appreciate this content, please consider becoming a Patron of Current.

Filed Under: Way of Improvement Tagged With: Canada, fake news

Primary Sidebar

Archives

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

Contact Forms

General Inquiries
Pitch Us

Search

Subscribe via Email