Reality Check (Ashley and Kyle)

In this week's episode, Kyle and Ashley dive into a discussion on disinformation. What is it and how is it different than misinformation? Do the words “fake news” and “voter fraud” ring a bell? How is it spread and by whom? Your favorite social media influencer may be an offender. And what can we do about it? Kyle and Ashley examine the 2016 and 2020 election and how disinformation was used as a tactic to sway political outcomes. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is briefly examined as a new hurdle in the battle against disinformation. Pulling on research from Geoff Nunberg from NPR and Samuel Spies’ research on Producers of Disinformation, Reality Check is sure to break it all down for you this week. We hope that you enjoy!

References

Nunberg, G. (2019, December 30). 'Disinformation' is the Word of the Year — and a sign of what's to come. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2019/12/30/790144099/disinformation-is-the-word-of-the-year-and-a-sign-of-what-s-to-come

Spies, S. (2020). Producers of disinformation. MediaWell. https://mediawell.ssrc.org/research-reviews/producers-of-disinformation/