Question 1

Source:

Ed Coper: How Digital Disinformation Is Destroying Society

Answer

The coronavirus, that we now take seriously enough to address with radical intervention, has a similar effect: cause disruption to our economy and society, and spread fear and mistrust. Digital disinformation aims to do exactly the same — albeit by design, not by random mutation.

Question 2

Source:

Ed Coper: Why we are still waiting for the US election result

Answer

There's still no result the day after the presidential election because America lacks Australia's independent electoral commission to make sure all the votes are quickly and fairly counted.

Question 3

Source:

The Debunking Handbook 2020

Answer

The Debunking Handbook 2020 summarises the current state of the science of misinformation and its debunking. It was written by a team of 22 prominent scholars of misinformation and its debunking, and it represents the current consensus on the science of debunking for engaged citizens, policymakers, journalists, and other practitioners.

Question 4

Source:

US 2020 Dashboard: Live insights on information disorder

Answer

"Our dashboard offers insights daily for an at-a-glance snapshot on what our investigative research team sees online. We'll provide context and suggest how to proceed with the information for your audiences. Journalists can request access to @FD_Update for more team insights."

Question 5

Source:

Misinformation Has Created a New World Disorder

Answer

Humans are wired to respond to emotional triggers and share misinformation if it reinforces existing beliefs and prejudices. Designers of the social platforms fervently believed that connection would drive tolerance and counteract hate. They failed to see how technology would not change who we are fundamentally—it could only map onto existing human characteristics.

Question 6

Source:

Secondary Infektion Report

Answer

"Secondary Infektion" is the name given to a long-running Russian information operation, encompassing multiple campaigns on social media run by a central entity, which was already active in 2014 and that was still running in early 2020. This report is the first systematic examination of Secondary Infektion's campaigns. It reveals the most comprehensive picture yet of this actor's strategic objectives and tactical priorities across the years.

Question 7

Source:

Misinformation and How to Correct It

Answer

Cognitive psychology investigates why individuals struggle with correcting misinformation and inaccurate beliefs, and why myths are so difficult to dislodge. Two important findings involve (i) various "backfire effects," which arise when refutations ironically reinforce misconceptions, and (ii) the role of worldviews in accentuating the persistence of misinformation. Computer scientists simulate the spread of misinformation through social networks and develop algorithms to automatically detect or neutralize myths. We draw together various research threads to provide guidelines on how to effectively refute misconceptions without risking backfire effects.

Question 8

Source:

The Psychology of Misinformation

Answer

The psychology of misinformation — the mental shortcuts, confusions, and illusions that encourage us to believe things that aren't true — can tell us a lot about how to prevent its harmful effects. It's what affects whether corrections work, what we should teach in media literacy courses, and why we're vulnerable to misinformation in the first place. It's also a fascinating insight into the human brain.

Question 9

Source:

Three Strategies for Navigating Moral Disagreements

Answer

People have this idea of people as fundamentally rational. On this account, our profound cognitive abilities are designed to help us discover objective truths about the world through logical argument and empirical observation. Contemporary research in cognitive science, psychology and related fields paints a much different picture.

Question 10

Source:

Misinformation and Its Correction: Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing

Answer

"We first examine the mechanisms by which such misinformation is disseminated in society, both inadvertently and purposely. Misinformation can originate from rumors but also from works of fiction, governments and politicians, and vested interests. Moreover, changes in the media landscape, including the arrival of the Internet, have fundamentally influenced the ways in which information is communicated and misinformation is spread."

Question 11

Source:

INFORMATION DISORDER: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making

Answer

A comprehensive examination of information disorder and its related challenges, such as filter bubbles and echo chambers. Contemporary social technology means we are witnessing: information pollution at a global scale; a complex web of motivations for creating, disseminating and consuming these 'polluted' messages; a myriad of content types and techniques for amplifying content; innumerable platforms hosting and reproducing this content; and breakneck speeds of communication between trusted peers.