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SoSe 21: The truth about disinformation – and how to counter it

Jochen Spangenberg

Additional information / Pre-requisites

The seminar will take virtually and in English. Organisational matters will be dealt with at the beginning. Usual rules apply with regards to attendance, participation etc. To get into the topic, participants are requested to read at least the following preparatory text: Viner, Katherine: How technology disrupted the truth. In: The Guardian, 12 July 2016, and check out some investigations of Bellingcat (https://www.bellingcat.com/). A select bibliography that contains more material related to the seminar topic is available here: https://bit.ly/3dj4hfd close

Comments

According to a definition used by the European Commission, disinformation is "verifiably false or misleading information created, presented and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public". This quote provides some basic ideas about some of the contents of our seminar. We will start by taking a look at the phenomenon of dis/misinformation from a historical perspective. The focus will then be on current trends and tendencies regarding the dissemination and combatting of disinformation in the digital sphere. This includes the portrayal and investigation of various actors and their respective approaches and strategies (from digital platforms to disinformation spreaders to fact-checking initiatives to traditional media), the legal and regulative context, as well as potential impacts of dealing with and being exposed to disinformation. A primary aim of the seminar is to look at the role technology, digital tools and techniques (e.g. OSINT) play in both the spreading as well as countering of disinformation (i.e. information verification and fact-checking) – and relate this to journalism and the news media sector. We will also hear from practitioners in the field and invite external experts to our sessions. close