I cannot think of a more important time to be discussing and understanding mis- and dis-information. The world is being rocked by its impact, people are struggling to know what is authentic, and the 24-hour digital knowledge economy only exacerbates its push. In response to this, the Department of Communication at the University of Amsterdam launched its mis- and dis-information initiative. Led by Prof. dr. Christian Burgers, and supported by board of super scholars (Hande Sungur; Toni van der Meer; Michael Hameelers, Marijn Meijers), this initiative:
- Has 4 PhD projects
- Offers a minor in mis- and dis- information; and
- Has 2 Associate Professors (Hameelers; Meijers) whose appointment focuses on this line
On Tuesday 11 March, we held a symposium to recognize the work in this initiative. I was fortunate enough to be an opening keynote speaker – where I spoke on the mis- and dis-information that is seeping through the youth-and-media-space at the moment – leading to uninformed social media bans rather than empirically-based guidance for a better digital space.
I appreciated the opportunity to talk with so many individuals committed to understanding and countering mis-information, and hope that my talk inspired many to see how quickly a fire can burn.
Contact me for a copy of the slide deck