ESOC/INFO 345: Decoding Disinformation

Disinformation online erodes our capacity to make knowledgeable decisions and coexist, but solutions developed in recent years offer reasons for hope. In this course we examine ways to combat harmful content with interventions including information and media literacy training, debunking and pre-bunking, along with digital tools developed by misinformation researchers and technology developers. We also review contextual factors that influence the development and efficacy of intervention methods in online environments, and emerging battlefields for disinformation including generative AI. An important goal in this course is learning to decode and disarm deceptive tactics and to rebuild trust in science, human civic participation and ethical institutions.