Misinformation, Disinformation, and Bias

A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for teaching and learning about misinformation, disinformation and news literacy. The website provides several services and materials for both educators and the general public, including the Checkology® e-learning platform, a continuously updated list of fact-checked and debunked rumors, and a podcast discussing news literacy and ways to combat misinformation.

Introduces some real world consequences of the viral spread of "fake news" and offers ideas for how to address the issues regarding the spread of misinformation while also addressing the promises and challenges of each idea.

Provides a professional journalist's perspective on how misinformation impacts his work and how it impacts traditional news media/professional journalism as a whole.

Defines misinformation and examines how it spreads by comparing it to a dangerous and occasionally deadly virus.

Examines how mis- and disinformation can be utilized by partisan actors to enforce and spread political ideologies.

Illustrates different ways to approach how you get your news, including following reporters on social media for a "boots on the ground" perspective of ongoing stories and events and reading or watching multiple news sources.

PBS provides a quick video tutorial featuring five pieces of advice to help you identify mis- and disinformation while browsing social media.

An examination of three elements of belief systems and biases and explanation of how those three elements relate to why people spread misinformation. Also offers steps to take to expand your "box" of preconceived ideas.

A satirical look into how dis- and misinformation contributes to the spread of conspiracy theories via the internet and provides three questions to ask to prevent yourself from falling into conspiratorial thinking.

Summarizes how and why people, even the most learned academic, can fall for misinformation and introduces tactics such as lateral reading and click restraint.

Offers a fascinating look into how one man writing satire turned into a web of "fake news" websites.

Discusses how many young people in a small Macedonian town make money by utilizing websites made to look like already existing news sites to spread misinformation.

Provides the perspective of one of many Macedonian "fake news" authors as she discusses her work and thoughts regarding it. Also highlights how the points of view of the articles do not necessarily reflect the perspectives of their authors.

A brief article painting a picture of the digital landscape that allows for such prolific spreading of misinformation and "fake news."

Examines three kinds of biases (cognitive, social, and algorithmic) that play a role in why people spread misinformation through social media.

A discussion regarding Facebook, how its algorithms help spread misinformation, and how its lack of transparency with its data is making it difficult for researchers to study how misinformation spreads on the platform.