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Journalism · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Disinformation and Media Literacy

In an era of “Alternative Facts” and Deepfakes, this critical thinking course equips students with the tools to verify truth. Students will study the mechanics of propaganda, the psychology of conspiracy theories, and the digital tools used for fact-checking (OSINT). The course emphasizes “Digital Hygiene”—the responsible consumption and sharing of information.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Distinguish between Misinformation (accidental) and Disinformation (intentional)
  2. Analyze the "Attention Economy" and how outrage drives engagement
  3. Utilize OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tools to verify images and videos
  4. Understand the cognitive biases that make us susceptible to fake news
  5. Detect logical fallacies and manipulation techniques in media
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Post-Truth Era: Definitions & History
  2. 02The Anatomy of a Conspiracy Theory
  3. 03Cognitive Biases: Confirmation & Dunning-Kruger
  4. 04The Algorithm's Role in Radicalization
  5. 05Propaganda Techniques in the Digital Age
  6. 06Clickbait & Satire vs. Fake News
  7. 07Source Verification & Domain Analysis
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Reverse Image Search & Geolocation
  10. 10Deepfakes & Synthetic Media Detection
  11. 11Bot Farms & Astroturfing
  12. 12Fact-Checking Methodology (Lateral Reading)
  13. 13Case Study: Election Interference
  14. 14Health Misinformation (Pseudoscience)
  15. 15Promoting Digital Hygiene in Community
  16. 16Final Project: The Debunking Case Study

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Debunking Case Study

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher
  2. Factfulness by Hans Rosling
  3. Verification Handbook by Craig Silverman (European Journalism Centre)
  4. The Death of Truth by Michiko Kakutani
  5. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
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