The image shows a street view of downtown Springfield, Ohio, featuring a colorful mural on a brick wall that reads "Greetings from Springfield Ohio." Each letter in "Springfield" contains a unique local scene or landmark, showcasing elements of the town. The mural is located on the side of a building, next to a row of shops, including "Winans Coffee & Chocolates." The street appears calm with a few pedestrians, classic streetlights, and storefronts in a historic area of the city.

A mural in Springfield, Ohio, welcoming visitors.

How Life in Springfield Has Been Disrupted by Lies About Its Haitian Community

September 18, 2024

How Life in Springfield Has Been Disrupted by Lies About Its Haitian Community

Ask students: Why have Trump and Vance attached themselves to this example of disinformation or intentional lies about Haitian immigrants killing and eating community members' pets?

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PBS NewsHour Classroom
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It’s been a week since former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, threw an ugly spotlight on the small city of Springfield, Ohio, by spreading lies about Haitian immigrants killing and eating people’s pets. Since then, the city has seen multiple bomb threats, school closures and growing fear within the city’s immigrant community.

View the transcript of the story.

Key Term

disinformation — a story in the news or on social media that purposely contains falsehoods or lies.

Discussion Questions

  1. Who are the individuals and groups featured in this story?
  2. Why have Trump and Vance attached themselves to this example of disinformation or intentional lies about Haitian immigrants killing and eating community members' pets?
  3. What challenges have the threats had on residents of Springfield, including students, faculty and staff at schools and colleges? What about members of the Haitian community?
  4. When did the threats to Springfield start?
  5. How is the City of Springfield dealing with threats to their community?

Focus Questions

  1. Why do you think Trump and Vance have continued to spread racist tropes (race-based stereotype) and disinformation about Haitian immigrants killing and eating community members' pets? Why do you think individuals have followed suit with bomb threats to the people of Springfield? Do you think their actions will affect voters come the Nov. 5 presidential election? Explain.
  2. What additional steps do you think elected officials, law enforcement and community members should make to improve the situation in Springfield, Ohio?
  3. Media literacy: How can you tell if a news story or social media post contains disinformation?

Extension Activity

Talk about what you discussed in class with a neighbor, friend or parent/guardian, including the turmoil and hate that disinformation perpetuates. You may also want to watch the interview below, Gov. DeWine urges Trump and Vance to end 'very hurtful' comments about Haitian migrants.

Supporting Students' Media Literacy Skills

Enhance media literacy education with this blog's free lesson plans and resource recommendations to empower students' critical thinking in the digital age.

Learn more

Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classoom.

PBS NewsHour Classroom
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of NewsHour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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