“Education is the civil rights issue of our time!” proclaimed Christopher Emdin in the opening keynote to the 2017 SXSWedu Conference and Expo in Austin, Texas. “We can’t really call ourselves educators without understanding that our work is not just about teaching but about understanding the social, emotional dynamic of teaching and learning.” His proclamation drew wild applause from an audience of educators, civic leaders, and big thinkers in education.

Craig Silverman was studying fake news long before the world turned its attention to such a topic. In fact, he’s considered a fake news expert, now working as the media editor for BuzzFeed News. With his fingers on the pulse of a changing journalism landscape, he sees dangers and potential in the way both adults and young people absorb news and information. It’s why he’s speaking to students on March 22 for a one-hour interactive online summit, “Viral Rumors and Fact Checking,” with Facing History and Ourselves and the News Literacy Project. 

Today’s News, Tomorrow’s History is an ongoing series with Listenwise. This series connects Facing History’s themes with today’s current events using public radio to guide and facilitate discussions around the social issues of our time. We will take a look at the presidential election and how people trust news on social media.