Consequences of Exposure
What happens when individuals are exposed to misinformation? Researchers are studying effects on the societies in which those individuals live, communicate, and make decisions. One of the biggest challenges is measuring the actual effects of misinformation. Scholars have employed ethnographic and behavioral science techniques to try to tease out the ramifications of contaminated information environments.
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Explore course modules, handouts, teaching tools and syllabi about dis- and misinformation.
Latest News on Consequences of Exposure
The prevalence of hate speech and misinformation on the internet, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, directly harms minority groups that are the target of vitriol, as well as our society at large (Müller & Scwarz, 2020). In addition, the intersection between the two only exacerbates their harmful effects leading to an increase in intolerance and […]
By Josephine Lukito, Kathyrn Kazanas, and Bin Chen
A robust press is vital to a healthy democracy. But newsrooms need resources to create reliable news that is accessible and free from influence. Since 2017, Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation have studied public opinion on the news media’s role in American democracy, with a focus on Americans’ expectations and […]
By Knight Foundation
Unsubstantiated rumors and outright falsehoods spread widely in immigrant communities ahead of the presidential election in 2020. That is happening again in the run-up to this year’s midterm elections, researchers say, but with an insidious twist: The social media accounts pushing misinformation are now targeting audiences in more languages on more topics and across more […]
By Tiffany Hsu
Pre-pandemic, Canadians’ love affair with social media shows no signs of slowing. But after living through two years of COVID-19 restrictions, more Canadians are reevaluating the role of social media in their lives. According to a new report, ‘The State of Social Media in Canada 2022’, released today by the Social Media Lab at Toronto […]
By Philip Mai and Anatoliy Gruzd
It had been a long pandemic for Twitter’s research team. Tasked with solving some of the platform’s toughest problems around harassment, extremism, and disinformation, staffers absconded to Napa Valley in November 2021 for a company retreat. Despite a tumultuous change in leadership — Jack Dorsey had recently stepped down, appointing former chief technology officer Parag […]
By Zoe Schiffer and Casey Newton
The prevalence of hate speech and misinformation on the internet, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, directly harms minority groups that are the target of vitriol, as well as our society at large (Müller & Scwarz, 2020). In addition, the intersection between the two only exacerbates their harmful effects leading to an increase in intolerance and […]
By Josephine Lukito, Kathyrn Kazanas, and Bin ChenA robust press is vital to a healthy democracy. But newsrooms need resources to create reliable news that is accessible and free from influence. Since 2017, Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation have studied public opinion on the news media’s role in American democracy, with a focus on Americans’ expectations and […]
By Knight FoundationUnsubstantiated rumors and outright falsehoods spread widely in immigrant communities ahead of the presidential election in 2020. That is happening again in the run-up to this year’s midterm elections, researchers say, but with an insidious twist: The social media accounts pushing misinformation are now targeting audiences in more languages on more topics and across more […]
By Tiffany HsuPre-pandemic, Canadians’ love affair with social media shows no signs of slowing. But after living through two years of COVID-19 restrictions, more Canadians are reevaluating the role of social media in their lives. According to a new report, ‘The State of Social Media in Canada 2022’, released today by the Social Media Lab at Toronto […]
By Philip Mai and Anatoliy GruzdIt had been a long pandemic for Twitter’s research team. Tasked with solving some of the platform’s toughest problems around harassment, extremism, and disinformation, staffers absconded to Napa Valley in November 2021 for a company retreat. Despite a tumultuous change in leadership — Jack Dorsey had recently stepped down, appointing former chief technology officer Parag […]
By Zoe Schiffer and Casey Newton
December 16, 2022