What Drives Fake News?, A New Approach to Summer School, and More

Saving the vaquita, why summer school must improve, and strategies to combat the spread of fake news.

View in browser May 17, 2021 How partisan polarization drives the spread of fake news   "Social media platforms certainly have a responsibility to avoid exacerbating the spread of false information. But an exclusive focus on the responsibility of tech giants will distract us from understanding the deeper societal divides that breed polarization and the key responsibility of politicians in this regard," Mathias Osmundsen, Michael Bang Petersen, and Alexander Bor argue.   Read more Restore US-Mexico seafood trade and save the vaquita   The vaquita marina, the world's smallest porpoise, is in crisis due to illegal fishing activity in the Upper Gulf of California. Vanda Felbab-Brown and Alejandro Castillo López explain how Mexico's government can restore seafood trade with the United States and save an endangered species in the process.   Read more Rush to summer school? A moment for celebration and caution   "If we can meld summer camp and summer school together, we can transform a traditionally dull, stigmatizing experience into an engaging and inclusive one." As school districts shape their summer learning programs to address lost instruction from the past year, Elias Blinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff highlight one model that can foster success.   Read more Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. is currently closed and all events are virtual only. For more information on the Institution's response, read our full guidance here. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often