A false claim that Iran plans to execute thousands of people has gone viral in the wake of the first death sentence for a protester tied to the demonstrations against the country’s clerical rulers over women’s rights.
NBC News
A rapidly growing measles outbreak in Columbus, Ohio — largely involving unvaccinated children — is fueling concerns among health officials that more parent resistance to routine childhood immunizations will intensify a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Misinformation does not help.
The Washington Post
Nearly three-quarters of people across 19 countries believe that the spread of false information online is a “major threat,” according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
New York Times
Digital disinformation is now a well-documented problem, but extensive documentation could actually be the downfall of the counter-disinformation movement. Data means nothing if you don’t do anything effective with it.
WIRED
Fox Corp chairperson Rupert Murdoch is set to be questioned under oath today in a defamation lawsuit over his network’s coverage of unfounded vote-rigging claims during the 2020 US presidential election.
The Guardian
New Jersey is set to become the first state in the nation to mandate teaching media literacy to students of all ages as a bill with the requirement heads to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk for a signature.
The Hechinger Report
Common Sense Media, a California-based organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States December 6.
Common Sense Media
The Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week is the longest-running cable television series in history, filling screens with sharky content every summer since 1988. Unfortunately, Shark Week is also a missed opportunity.
The Conversation
Among the mass layoffs at the company formerly known as Facebook last week are several roles that have served as a bridge between the news industry and the sprawling tech company.
Nieman Labs
Misinformation happens when false information is shared out of ignorance, or by error. Disinformation happens when false information is shared on purpose, for a reason. The difference is intent.
Union of Concerned Scientists
Arizona remained the epicenter for post-Election Day misinformation this week as vote counting in that state continued. Many of the misleading claims circulating two days after the election focused on printing problems that prevented vote counters from reading some ballots.
Associated Press
Technology ethicist Tristan Harris succinctly tells 60 Minutes host Bill Whitaker about the feedback flaw that rewards and fuels misinformation and extreme views on social media – and what we can do to address it.
CBS News/60 Minutes
All major social media platforms have outlined plans to tackle misinformation around the midterm election and its immediate aftermath, but questions will remain about their effectiveness and the ability of these platforms to adequately implement these measures.
Forbes
With an increasing stream of contradictory information coming at us on a daily basis, it can be hard to determine what misinformation is and whether it’s actually dangerous.
Harvard University
As many heard last week, the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, according to a filing with the U.S. Government. What users expect from ‘free speech absolutist.’
BBC/British Broadcasting Corporation
A new Arizona Republic report shows that misinformation and in some cases outright deception have been hallmarks for gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and her campaign the past 17 months.
Arizona Republic/AZCentral.com
Despite a rash of unsubstantiated claims lobbed against his company, the CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, John Poulos, has remained largely silent. That changed last Sunday night on 60 Minutes.
CBS News
There was controversy this month involving Kanye West. I won’t reiterate it. I believe Kanye is ill, and I’ll return to ignoring him soon after this post. This post is about Adidas, Gap, CAA, and his other corporate partners. It is about the moral obligation we have to draw a line.
Scott Galloway/No Mercy No Malice
Media researcher Alice Marwick presents the major findings from her recently published report, Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online.
Databite
Zach Stern: What prompted you to start Project DATA?
Young Mie Kim: For almost my entire career, I have been studying passionate publics—people, like those who care about the abortion issue because of their religious values, who care about political issues because of particular values, identities, or interests…
Brown Political Review