Session Overview:
In this session from the 2020 GovComms Festival, Genevieve Jacobs and Maureen Taylor discuss the growth of misinformation on the internet in recent years.
Genevieve Jacobs is the Group Editor of Region Media Group and Maureen Taylor is the Head of Discipline of Public Communication at the University of Technology Sydney. Genevieve and Maureen combine their perspectives as a journalist and an academic to shine a light on this important topic of misinformation and fake news.
Maureen firstly defines the key terms of this topic: propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation. What are the differences between these terms that are too often used interchangeably?
Genevieve discusses the role of journalists in identifying and debunking all forms of misinformation and disinformation. She explains the role of journalists as the filter of social media.
Genevieve and Maureen also discuss the tools that are used by spreaders of misinformation and disinformation. These range from social media, to private messaging applications, to hidden online forums in the darkest corners of the internet.
After watching this video, you will be able to:
- Distinguish between propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation.
- Understand the role of social media in the spread of disinformation and misinformation.
- Recognize the role that journalists play in mitigating the spread of false or malicious information.