The UK is facing a “grim” world of “two tier” journalism, in which access to high-quality information is reserved for the few, with increasing numbers relying solely on dangerously unreliable online sources for their news, according to a new Parliamentary report.
Byline Times
Australia’s federal government’s proposed legislation on misinformation and disinformation has passed the House of Representatives, but faces a rocky time in the Senate. Opponents have dubbed it the MAD Bill, and it has certainly made some of them mad. Ironically, there is a great deal of misinformation circulating about the bill itself.
The Conversation
In the wake of a divisive election cycle full of misinformation, many families will be sitting down at the Thanksgiving table with loved ones who may not see eye-to-eye. In North Salem, New York, a seventh-grade media literacy class has been preparing for that challenge by learning how to have difficult but empathetic conversations.
CBS News
Misleading and false climate content surging through social media and other channels threatens the COP29 climate talks by undermining science-based policy decisions, United Nations officials said.
Inside Climate News
Rutgers University is launching a ‘Democracy Lab’ to promote civil discourse and political participation, school officials announced Friday. The lab, based at the Eagleton Institute of Politics in New Brunswick, is designed to help students recognize disinformation, engage effectively with people who hold different views, and tackle the challenges facing American democracy.
Newark Star-Ledger / NJ.com
Misinformation can lead to socially detrimental behavior, which makes finding ways to combat its effects a matter of crucial public concern. A new paper by researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General explores an innovative approach to countering the impact of factually incorrect information called ‘bypassing.’
Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
When Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo was first approached in 2019 by a Russian who suggested he help promote the activities of the Central African Republic’s army and Russian forces in the country, the journalist believed that he was doing the right thing.
The Associated Press
In the heat of the 2024 election, news influencers seemed to be everywhere. Both Republicans and Democrats credentialed content creators to cover their conventions – and encouraged influencers to share their political messages. Influencers also interviewed the candidates and held fundraisers for them.
Pew/Knight Initiative
It’s not just your coworker or socially awkward uncle who is now prone to believe the earth is flat or in the existence of a deep state: A new survey from the nonprofit the News Literacy Project found that 81% of teens believe at least one conspiracy theory.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
An overwhelming majority of teens (94%) say that schools should be required to teach media literacy, a new study by NLP shows. A full 57% offer strong support, saying schools should “definitely” have such a requirement, and another 36% offer some support, saying schools should have a requirement in some cases.
News Literacy Project
The ascension of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, to the nation’s top health post has alarmed medical experts, who point to his history of trafficking in conspiracy theories as disqualifying to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Washington Post
There's a growing public debate over the need for fluoride in our drinking water, but experts say even the concerns that are based in science – aren't actually cause for concern.
CBS 2 News Iowa
Jonathan Ablard, professor in the Department of History and Latin American Studies coordinator at Ithaca College, gave his keynote presentation titled “Conspiracy Theories and Rumors in the History of Public Health” at the Social History of Health and Illness in Argentina and the Americas workshop via Zoom.
The Ithacan
Social media has its upsides. For example it allows users to share their experiences of health issues. One study showed that 80% of cancer patients use social media to engage peers. But it can also help spread health misinformation.
The Conversation
Elon Musk’s own artificial intelligence model Grok is calling the billionaire out for his spread of misinformation on X.
Independent
A June 2023 survey from YouGov, a British market research firm, found that American kids are more susceptible to misinformation than older adults, partly due to the fact that they spend more time online and, as a result, are exposed to more bunk.
MacLean’s
Regardless of one’s political leanings, it’s been evident for many recent years that science is fighting what feels like an uphill battle against disinformation, both in the U.S. and around the world.
Entomology Today
The disinformation inundating social media during Spain's catastrophic floods threatened the crucial work of emergency services and exploited fear, anger and grief, an AFP investigation has found.
Barron’s / Agence France-Presse
When President-elect Donald J. Trump was announced the winner of this year’s presidential contest on Wednesday, the vote tallies initially suggested a sharp drop-off of millions of Democratic votes compared with the results in 2020.
The New York Times
Artificial intelligence may erode public trust in democratic processes, leading experts said during the DemocracAI panel hosted by the Science, Technology and Society program on Democracy Day.
The Stanford Daily
