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.
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Teaching & Learning
Explore course modules, handouts, teaching tools and syllabi about dis- and misinformation.
Latest News on Wedge Issues
In one version, tens of thousands of protesters are marching to force accountability on the US justice system, shining a light on policing policies that protect white lives and property above anything else—and are being met with the same brutality and indifference they are protesting against. In the other, driven by Donald Trump, US attorney […]
By Joan Donovan
In January 2020, Facebook executives began paying attention to a new coronavirus spreading across the globe. The virus was deadly and highly contagious, and when the World Health Organization shared guidance about it, the company’s leadership dropped their typically hands-off approach to misinformation. “We decided we would remove content that directly contradicted [the WHO] and […]
By Alex Kantrowitz
What is driving the novel coronavirus infodemic? Fear, uncertainty and opportunistic marketing are all playing a role. But it is also a legacy of our growing distrust of science, experts and health-care institutions. Not only is this the era of misinformation, it is also the era of distrust. A recent study found that after years […]
By Timothy Caulfield
A tweet by entrepreneur Elon Musk suggesting children are “essentially immune” to coronavirus did not break Twitter’s rules, the company has said. This week, Twitter pledged to remove misinformation and tweets denying scientific facts about the virus. It even cited claims about child immunity as an example of misinformation that it would remove. […] Source: […]
By BBC
In the whirlwind of news about the novel coronavirus pandemic, it can be hard to figure out what’s a scam or rumor and what’s vital information. The ways in which the COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has transformed the way we work and keep ourselves entertained already feels unreal. To understand why […]
By Justine Calma
In one version, tens of thousands of protesters are marching to force accountability on the US justice system, shining a light on policing policies that protect white lives and property above anything else—and are being met with the same brutality and indifference they are protesting against. In the other, driven by Donald Trump, US attorney […]
By Joan DonovanIn January 2020, Facebook executives began paying attention to a new coronavirus spreading across the globe. The virus was deadly and highly contagious, and when the World Health Organization shared guidance about it, the company’s leadership dropped their typically hands-off approach to misinformation. “We decided we would remove content that directly contradicted [the WHO] and […]
By Alex KantrowitzWhat is driving the novel coronavirus infodemic? Fear, uncertainty and opportunistic marketing are all playing a role. But it is also a legacy of our growing distrust of science, experts and health-care institutions. Not only is this the era of misinformation, it is also the era of distrust. A recent study found that after years […]
By Timothy CaulfieldA tweet by entrepreneur Elon Musk suggesting children are “essentially immune” to coronavirus did not break Twitter’s rules, the company has said. This week, Twitter pledged to remove misinformation and tweets denying scientific facts about the virus. It even cited claims about child immunity as an example of misinformation that it would remove. […] Source: […]
By BBCIn the whirlwind of news about the novel coronavirus pandemic, it can be hard to figure out what’s a scam or rumor and what’s vital information. The ways in which the COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has transformed the way we work and keep ourselves entertained already feels unreal. To understand why […]
By Justine Calma