Illustrates why misinformation is a particularly wicked problem at this moment in history and helps to situate current misinformation trends within the long history of propaganda, fake news, and information operations. Provides students with strategies to address misinformation in their own lives and communities.
From COVID-19 to the conspiracy theories like QAnon, misinformation is everywhere. This course will help you to understand the problem of misinformation and begin to think about how to combat it. First, you will be introduced to definitions of misinformation and fake news. We’ll investigate misinformation as part of a long history of propaganda, fake news, and information operations, all the way up to the social media fueled misinformation tsunami of our current media environment. This course looks at misinformation from many angles. We’ll consider the ways that influence matters for the spread of misinformation; we’ll look at the role of media and key influencers in spreading misinformation and how social media accelerates the reach and speed of misinformation. Finally, the course will teach you about the individual drivers of misinformation sharing and how to combat them: how to assess the quality of different messages in personal and professional contexts and how to speak with others who are sharing misinformation. INDS545 teaches you strategies to address misinformation in your own personal and professional lives and your communities.