COMM 330 Fake News! Media Literacy and Mis/Disinformation in a Democratic Society

Fake news, mis- and dis-information, and the abundance of heavily biased opinion that passes for news have been increasingly shared through social networks and amplified by a swelling number of explicitly partisan news outlets. These span the range of political viewpoints as well as topics from health news to environmental concerns, and distort or negate evidence-based information, creating confusion among consumers. Reliable information is the foundation of an effective democracy, yet many people find it progressively more difficult to differentiate, for instance, reliable journalism from misleading propaganda, resulting in many people doubting everything branded as "news." This course will address each of these concerns.

Credits

3

Offered

Every other year