Do you know what disinformation is and what are the risks associated with it? How to counter it? Disinformation, being an old and powerful phenomenon, has become increasingly influential thanks to the use of social media and the speed with which it can be spread out to every corner of the world. Disinformation has challenged democracies, governments, education systems or civil society. Most recently, we can see how disinformation can instill fear about lifesaving vaccinations, as well as exploit tensions, create chaos and mistrust towards institutions, and individuals.  

 

In this course we will learn how to distinguish between various types of disinformation and avoid traps such as echo chambers, polarization or propaganda. Moreover, we will share with you the essential knowledge and tools to tackle disinformation more effectively, e.g., microtargeting and persuasive communication strategies, or how to build powerful stories and narratives. Finally, the ambition is that you will become aware and learn how to become resilient ‘when they come for you’.  

 

The course is designed to maximize learning at your own pace and time.  Sit back, relax and give it a shot. When you finish the course, we encourage you to share it with your family, friends, colleagues, or your students. 

- Educators interested in professional self-development and sharing their knowledge about countering disinformation with their students or other educators. 

- Activists and NGOs’ communication staff who seek to know more about disinformation they face in the environment of their daily work. 
- General public interested in gaining basic knowledge about disinformation, its types, methods, and the way we can combat it.

 

- critical assessment of the information landscape; 

- distinguishing information, disinformation, malinformation and misinformation;

- understanding the risks associated with disinformation;

- recognizing disinformation technical strategies;

- knowledge about techniques of responding to disinformation; 

- understanding the important terminology used in the context of disinformation (e.g. echo chambers, filters bubbles);

- understanding how micro targeting and persuasive communication (propaganda) can change behaviour;

- identifying common disinformation narratives and their types.

 

The time needed to complete the entire course is about 40-60 minutes. But as the formula of the course allows you to choose a convenient time and pace of learning, it’s up to you how many shorter periods of time you divide the course. You can always stop it and resume later.