Definitions, Uses, and Current Contexts for “Fake News”
Sponsored by Sage
Recorded on 10/07/2024
Posted in The Authority File
Episode 401
Ah, “fake news”—for Americans, doesn’t that take you right back to 2016? However, fake news and mis/disinformation have existed long before then, even if the social, political, and technological environments have drastically shifted in the last 50 (or 20, or 10) years.
In this four-part series, our guests dig into applying critical thinking skills in today’s political and scientific climate. Nick Anstead, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics, and returning guest Dan Chibnall, STEM Librarian & Associate Professor of Librarianship at Drake University, walk through the dilution of the information landscape, underscoring the impact of social media and the Internet on mainstream media’s authority in the news cycle. Touching on the role of scholarly communication in educating the public, key areas of information literacy and critical thinking instruction, and the threat of AI-generated misinformation, Nick and Dan provide a fascinating look at the current information landscape as the 2024 US presidential election fast approaches.
In the first episode of this series, our guests chat about fake news. They offer definitions and popular uses of the term, highlighting the importance of positioning fake news within current contexts. Speaking with a political and scientific lens, Nick and Dan chat about the spectrum of fake news—everything from satire to propaganda—and how opposing applications of fake news can inform one another.
About the guests:
Nick Anstead
Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communication
London School of Economics
Nick Anstead is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communication at the London School of Economics, where his research focuses on elections, comparative politics and political communication. He is the author of the book What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Fake News (2021) and has had work published in leading journals including Political Studies, The International Journal of Press/Politics, and the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Nick is a regular commentator on elections and politics in the media. He tweets @nickanstead and is on Bluesky @nickanstead.bsky.social.
Dan Chibnall
STEM Librarian & Associate Professor of Librarianship
Drake University
Dan Chibnall is the STEM Librarian & Associate Professor of Librarianship at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa in the United States. Dan teaches classes in science research, science communication, science fiction, the relationship between science & democracy, and misinformation in the 21st century. He has also co-authored articles on helping K-12 students to understand scientific concepts through active learning techniques. Dan is active in supporting Iowa libraries, having served as the President of both the Iowa Library Association as well as the Iowa chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries. He posts on Bluesky as @bookowl.bsky.social.
Enjoy the conversation? Listen to the rest of the series:
- Navigating the Changing Information Landscape
- Instruction, Regulation, and Solutions for Today’s Information and Political Environment
- AI-Generated Misinformation, Fact-Checking Trends, and Political Education for Students
Check out our previous series with Sage:
– Librarian Skills Landscape Report and Overview
– The Intersection of Critical Thinking Skills and AI
– Building Skills for Student Success
– Understanding the Undergraduate Workflow
– Spotlighting Academic Library Innovation
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