What makes a good story? Is it the facts? The way it’s told? Or the emotions it stirs in the reader?
These were the questions at the heart of today’s Be the Voice of Girls session, where Eriech Tapia guided us through the world of journalism in The Art of the Interview – Part 3. From the history of investigative reporting to the quirks of modern media, the girls explored how news is shaped, how opinions masquerade as facts, and—most importantly—how to tell the difference.
Truth vs. Opinion: A Matter of Perspective
Eriech kicked things off with a simple but powerful visual: a cylinder casting two different shadows. From one angle, the shape looked like a square. From another, a circle.
“So,” he asked, “which is the truth?”
The answer? Both—and neither.
Truth, he explained, is often more complicated than a single viewpoint. Just like in journalism, perspective shapes the way a story is told. But facts? Those remain unchanged, no matter how they’re framed.
This led to a discussion on opinion journalism—articles that take real events and add personal interpretation. Opinion pieces are important, but they should always be labeled as such. Otherwise, readers can mistake them for factual reporting, and that’s where misinformation spreads.
A Scavenger Hunt for the Truth
To put their new knowledge to the test, the girls broke into small groups for a news scavenger hunt. Their challenge? Find three different types of stories—one from traditional news media, one from social media, and one that was entirely fake.
Some of the best finds included:
✅ A traditional news story that laid out the facts clearly and concisely, answering the five W’s—who, what, when, where, and why—right up front.
❌ A fake news story that made wild claims without citing any sources, shared widely on social media with no credible links.
😂 A satirical article from The Onion—which led to a hilarious tangent about how The Onion has been writing absurd, made-up news for over 30 years… only for some of their old satire to feel eerily real today. “It’s scary,” Eriech laughed, “because stories that were pure jokes twenty years ago are now playing out in real life.”
This part of the session sparked an important realization—sometimes, fiction feels more believable than reality. And that’s why critical thinking is so crucial when consuming media.
AI and Fake News: Can You Spot the Lies?
We also took a closer look at how artificial intelligence is changing the game. Eriech pulled up a viral photo claiming to show a massive ancient sword recently discovered in Turkey.
The image was stunning—a towering, medieval-style sword so massive it looked like it belonged in the hands of a 100-foot-tall titan.
The only problem? It wasn’t real.
AI had generated the entire thing, and a quick zoom-in on the details—like one of the archeologist’s oddly distorted fingers—gave it away. AI-generated content is becoming more convincing, and it’s only going to get harder to tell real from fake.
For next week’s challenge, Eriech left the girls with a mission: find an example of AI-generated news or misleading media, and be ready to share it.
What’s Next? The Story Continues!
Our journey through The Art of the Interview isn’t over just yet—we have one more session with Eriech next week to dive even deeper into the craft of asking great questions and uncovering the truth. But as we approach the final stretch, we’re also gearing up for our next major theme: Storytelling.
Today’s session laid the foundation for what’s to come, helping the girls sharpen their critical thinking skills and understand how stories take shape. Next, we’ll explore how to craft compelling narratives, ask even deeper questions, and bring stories to life in a way that truly matters.
If there’s one takeaway from today, it’s that the line between truth and fiction isn’t always as clear as it seems—just ask The Onion. The satirical news site has been making up outrageous headlines for decades, yet somehow, some of their old jokes are now playing out in real life. It’s a perfect reminder that staying informed, questioning sources, and thinking critically have never been more important.
📌 This week’s challenge:
- Keep an eye out for AI-generated news or misleading stories.
- Check how different news sources report on the same event—do you notice any bias?
As always, we’re so proud of these young truth-seekers and storytellers. The world needs more critical thinkers, and they’re well on their way.
