Wedge Issues
Some disinformation is obviously political, such as that targeting opposing parties. But other disinformation campaigns attempt to take political advantage of other rifts in societies, such as those rooted in ethnicity, religion, social class, and other markers of identity. This literature explores case studies on those wedge issues, including climate change, U.S. race tensions, and the anti-vaccine movement.
Live Research Review
Teaching & Learning
Explore course modules, handouts, teaching tools and syllabi about dis- and misinformation.
Latest News on Wedge Issues
PARIS—The nation that gave us Louis Pasteur—whose scientific discoveries paved the way for human vaccination—has become a global hotspot for anti-vaxxer conspiracies and scientific distrust that experts say could allow COVID-19 to remain in France for years to come. Almost half the country said in a recent poll it will shun the coronavirus vaccine, meaning […]
By Peter Yeung
The insidious problem of online violence against women journalists is increasingly spilling offline, with potentially deadly consequences, a new global survey suggests. Twenty percent of women journalists and media workers who participated in the survey – run by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – […]
By Julie Posetti, Jackie Harrison and Silvio Waisbord
American society today feels more divided than ever, particularly along racial lines. In this project, the Center for Media Engagement asked Black Americans how news organizations could better cover their communities to help bridge the divide between them and the media. We found that: Journalists Aren’t Trusted Storytellers: Overall, our survey showed that Black Americans’ trust […]
By Tamar Wilner, Gina M. Masullo, Danielle Kilgo, and Lance Bennett
Rachel Wightman reviews slides Oct. 18 before a Mill City Church online class about identifying disinformation. The church offered a class earlier in the year and recently began offering the class again for six weeks online. Finding facts and accurate information is part of Rachel Wightman’s job — it’s also part of her ministry. She […]
By Catharine Richert
The cadets were angry, venting on an anonymous chat app widely used at the Virginia Military Institute. The target of their rage: Black cadets and alumni who publicly detailed in a Washington Post story the relentless racism they had encountered at the nation’s oldest state-supported military college. On Jodel — pronounced “Yodel” — the reaction from […]
By Ian Shapira
PARIS—The nation that gave us Louis Pasteur—whose scientific discoveries paved the way for human vaccination—has become a global hotspot for anti-vaxxer conspiracies and scientific distrust that experts say could allow COVID-19 to remain in France for years to come. Almost half the country said in a recent poll it will shun the coronavirus vaccine, meaning […]
By Peter YeungThe insidious problem of online violence against women journalists is increasingly spilling offline, with potentially deadly consequences, a new global survey suggests. Twenty percent of women journalists and media workers who participated in the survey – run by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – […]
By Julie Posetti, Jackie Harrison and Silvio WaisbordAmerican society today feels more divided than ever, particularly along racial lines. In this project, the Center for Media Engagement asked Black Americans how news organizations could better cover their communities to help bridge the divide between them and the media. We found that: Journalists Aren’t Trusted Storytellers: Overall, our survey showed that Black Americans’ trust […]
By Tamar Wilner, Gina M. Masullo, Danielle Kilgo, and Lance BennettRachel Wightman reviews slides Oct. 18 before a Mill City Church online class about identifying disinformation. The church offered a class earlier in the year and recently began offering the class again for six weeks online. Finding facts and accurate information is part of Rachel Wightman’s job — it’s also part of her ministry. She […]
By Catharine RichertThe cadets were angry, venting on an anonymous chat app widely used at the Virginia Military Institute. The target of their rage: Black cadets and alumni who publicly detailed in a Washington Post story the relentless racism they had encountered at the nation’s oldest state-supported military college. On Jodel — pronounced “Yodel” — the reaction from […]
By Ian Shapira