misinformation Archives

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Government & Politics October 23, 2025

Winning with misinformation: New research identifies link between endorsing easily disproven claims and prioritizing symbolic strength

by Randy Stein, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Abraham Rutchick, California State University, Northridge, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Why do some people endorse…

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Education August 27, 2025

College students are bombarded by misinformation, so this professor taught them fact-checking 101 − here’s what happened

by Sam Wineburg, Stanford University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Mike Evans knew something had to change. As the lead instructor for American Government 1101…

Media August 4, 2025

From printing presses to Facebook feeds: What yesterday’s witch hunts have in common with today’s misinformation crisis

by Julie Walsh, Wellesley College, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Between 1400 and 1780, an estimated 100,000 people, mostly women, were prosecuted for witchcraft in…

History March 23, 2025

Why history instruction is critical for combating online misinformation

by Lightning Jay, Binghamton University, State University of New York, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Can you tell fact from fiction online? In a digital…

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Science and Technology February 18, 2025

Address science misinformation not by repeating the facts, but by building conversation and community

by Anne Toomey, Pace University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Misinformation about scientific topics, including falsehoods such as vaccines cause autism and climate change being…

Health Care December 18, 2024

Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health

by Mark R. O’Brian, University at Buffalo, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce…

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Art and Culture November 20, 2024

An 83-year-old short story by Borges portends a bleak future for the internet

by Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] How will the internet evolve in the coming decades? Fiction writers have explored…

News Media November 11, 2024

What should journalists do when the facts don’t matter?

by Michael J. Socolow, University of Maine, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Most people agree that actual facts matter – in such activities as debate,…

Media January 17, 2024

Misinformation: how fact-checking journalism is evolving – and having a real impact on the world

by Peter Cunliffe-Jones, University of Westminster and Lucas Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] “Fake news” loves a crisis. It’s clear now…

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Social Media November 6, 2023

It’s not just about facts: Democrats and Republicans have sharply different attitudes about removing misinformation from social media

by Ruth Elisabeth Appel, Stanford University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Misinformation is a key global threat, but Democrats and Republicans disagree about how to…

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