Columbia Journalism Review's Bryant Park 'News Stand' Installation Stands Up to Fake News Frenzy

On Tuesday, October 30th (7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.), Columbia Journalism Review, in partnership with TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, will take over the most trafficked corner of Bryant Park with a creatively covert newsstand installation that aims to expose the rampancy and dangers of misinformation, and educate citizens on how to recognize false and misleading news.

“The News Stand” will be fully outfitted and stocked with deceivingly authentic-looking print newspapers and magazines splashed with false, buzzy headlines plucked straight from the Internet. Each headline featured is entirely untrue, and was amongst the most highly-read and heavily promoted stories on social media at the time it appeared.

WHY:

False news headlines fool American adults about 75 percent of the time [Ipsos Public Affairs Survey]. 

To underscore the crucial importance of well-sourced news, passersby will be encouraged to take a closer look at the flashy periodicals on display—which were designed by TBWA Chiat\Day New York to closely mirror legitimate publications—and flip through the pages where they’ll find CJR’s educational reader’s guide with tips on how to recognize and stand up to misinformation.

“The News Stand” was inspired by CJR's award-winning “Real Journalism Matters” ad campaign created by TBWA/Chiat/Day New York, which debuted earlier this year in The New York Times.

WHERE: 

Bryant Park // Southeast Corner of W. 42nd St. & 6th Ave.

WHEN:

Tuesday, October 30, 2018 // 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 

WHO

Kyle Pope, Editor and Publisher, Columbia Journalism Review

Chris Beresford-Hill, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York

STATS: 

Misinformation By The Numbers(<— click here for more stats)

- More than 6.6 million tweets by misinformation publishers were found in the runup to the 2016 presidential election. [The Knight Foundation]

- Unverified stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted than verified stories. [Science Magazine]

- More than 80% of the accounts that intentionally distributed misinformation two years ago are still active today.  [The Knight Foundation]

TIPS: 

Tips For Recognizing Misinformation(<— click link for tips)