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Journalism · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Fact-Checking & Misinformation Combat

In a post-truth world, verification is the most valuable currency. This technical course trains students to be digital detectives. Using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, students will learn to debunk viral hoaxes, verify user-generated content during breaking news, and distinguish between satire, propaganda, and deepfakes. The curriculum emphasizes the “Verification Workflow” used by major organizations like Bellingcat and the BBC.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master OSINT tools: Reverse Image Search (TinEye/Yandex) and Geolocation (Google Earth)
  2. Differentiate between Misinformation (unintentional) and Disinformation (malicious)
  3. Analyze metadata (EXIF data) to verify the time and location of digital files
  4. Detect synthetic media and "Deepfakes" using forensic analysis
  5. Write clear, non-partisan "Fact Check" articles that correct the record without amplifying the lie
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Misinformation Ecosystem: Who spreads it and why?
  2. 02The Psychology of Belief: Cognitive Dissonance
  3. 03Verification Basics: Source, Date, Location
  4. 04Reverse Image Search Advanced Techniques
  5. 05Video Verification: Frame-by-Frame Analysis
  6. 06Metadata Forensics: Reading EXIF Data
  7. 07Archiving Evidence: Wayback Machine & Archive.is
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Geolocation I: Identifying Landmarks
  10. 10Geolocation II: Sun & Shadow Analysis (Chronolocation)
  11. 11Verifying Social Media Accounts (Bots vs. Humans)
  12. 12Deepfakes & AI Generation Detection
  13. 13Medical & Scientific Misinformation
  14. 14Political Fact-Checking: Analyzing Speech
  15. 15The Ethics of Debunking: avoiding amplification
  16. 16Final Project: The Debunking Investigation

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 Investigation

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Verification Handbook (versions 1 & 2) by Craig Silverman
  2. We Are Bellingcat: Global Crime, Online Sleuths, and the Bold Future of News by Eliot Higgins
  3. The Truth Matters by Bruce Bartlett
  4. Deepfakes: The Coming Infocalypse by Nina Schick
  5. Information Wars by Richard Stengel
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