The Misinformation Epidemic and its Cure
Research Inquiry: What is misinformation and how can we lessen its impact?
Reflection
This was most definitely the hardest leap project for me because of how vast and complex the subject is. It took me a while to decide how to narrow down to a topic that could be covered in a short video. I searched for the questions provided in the prompt using google scholar. I really enjoyed using the Canva software and like how many of its features can be accessed for free. I am most likely going to use it in the future when working on presentations and visuals.
I chose the research question: “What is misinformation and how can we lessen its impact?” I created an outline for the general flow of my video with an introduction, thesis and conclusion and then made the corresponding visual. I uploaded the slides from canva into google slides so that I could record right from my phone making editing and uploading easier. I used an app called ‘go record’. To conserve time in my video because my script was already quite lengthy I decided to include the debate about whether AI should be used to regulate digital misinformation in my infographic instead of during the video. There are many strong points on both sides. There are those that worry that misinformation and digital manipulation can and are being used to disrupt our elections and there is much concern about giving the government too much power to regulate freedom of speech.
I have learned that I am most definitely not a design student and struggled the most with trying to create a visually appealing presentation and graphic. It is difficult to find colors and fonts that go well with each other, allow the text to be visible and fit with the general theme of the presentation.
The course of researching this topic lead to many more questions such as how would regulation of misinformation affect our ideas of expression? Will AI eventually replace human based fact checking services or continue to grow
Annotated Bibliography
Dimartini , Gianluca, and Stefano Mizzaro . “Evidence-Based Strategies to Combat Scientific Misinformation.” The University of Queensland , 2020, www.damianospina.com/publication/plaza-2023-exist/plaza-2023-exist.pdf.
I liked the objective and scientific nature of this source. I also like that the citations are provided and that there were many sources consulted by the authors of this work.
Editors, Forbes Technology Council. “Council Post: 13 Pros and Cons of Integrating AI for Social Media Scrubbing.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 17 Aug. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2017/08/17/13-pros-and-cons-of-integrating-ai-for-social-media-scrubbing/?sh=3a1bf60d19ce.
I used this for information for my infographic compare and contrast. I used multiple sources for the advantages section including this one and I used this one primarily for the criticism section.
Flintham, Martin, et al. “Falling for Fake News: Investigating the Consumption of News via Social Media.” ACM Digital Library , 21 Apr. 2018, dl-acm-org.uri.idm.oclc.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3173574.3173950.
This is pay to access article, but I used URI proxy library to view it without charge. This source has many contributors and many references and is transparent.
Kingkade , Tyler, et al. “Cat Litter Box Myths Are Suddenly a Culture War Flashpoint. Here’s How That Happened.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 10 Oct. 2022, www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/urban-myth-litter-boxes-schools-became-gop-talking-point-rcna51439.
This was the first story that came to mind when trying to recall examples of misinformation that I have encountered. I have met people who were absolutely convinced that this was very real and going to be happening more and more frequently in other schools as well.
Kolbert, Elizabeth. “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds.” The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2017, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/27/why-facts-dont-change-our-minds.
I liked the psychological perspective offered by this article. This topic was something I briefly touched on on the last slide of my presentation while discussing communication.
Marwick, Alice E., and Rebecca Lewis. “Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online.” Alice E. Marwick,Rebecca Lewis, Data & Society Research Institute, 15 May 2017, apo.org.au/node/135936.
This is an incredible in depth source that provided several examples of misinformation. The contents range from motivations to strategies. I drew most heavily from the information on pages 31–38 and pages 49 and 50.
Munger, Kevin. All the News That’s Fit to Click: The Economics of Clickbait Media, Routledge , 2019, www-tandfonline-com.uri.idm.oclc.org/doi/epdf/10.1080/10584609.2019.1687626?needAccess=true.
There is a significant financial component to misinformation. I wanted to use this source because understanding the financial incentive is key to prevention.
Murtha, Jack. “How Fake News Sites Frequently Trick Big-Time Journalists.” Columbia Journalism Review, 26 May 2016, www.cjr.org/analysis/how_fake_news_sites_frequently_trick_big-time_journalists.php.
This resource gave several good examples of misinformation. I cited this abcnew.com.co story from this article.
Park, Sora, et al. “Global Mistrust in News: The Impact of Social Media On Trust: International Journal on Media Management: Vol 22, No 2.” International Journal of Media Management , 8 Apr. 2020, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14241277.2020.1799794.
This is a pay to access article, but I used the URI proxy library link to access it without charge. What stood out to me about this article was its scientific data driven approach. I found this article through google scholar.
Wardle, Claire. “Tackling Misinformation: A Three-Pronged Approach.” National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 15 Dec. 2023, www.nih.gov/about-nih/what-we-do/science-health-public-trust/perspectives/tackling-misinformation-three-pronged-approach.
I chose this source because the experience in and notoriety of the author on the subject. I also wanted to be able to offer solutions and to not just focus on defining the issue.
