Disinformation & Fake News: January 2020 Listening List
Propaganda and misinformation, aka fake news, are not new. They are long-used tactics deployed in war and dictatorial regimes. However, social networking has eased the deployment of these weapons to the political and cultural war front. How can we fight fake news in a post-truth world? Hopefully by listening to this playlist you will realize this is not a new problem, but also how in the current landscape it has created a threat to democracy and to our sanity. Can we do something about it? Listen and find out.
(This playlist was curated by Cesar and Matt, of our Milwaukee chapter)
Podcast Listening List on DISINFORMATION & FAKE NEWS
Get the listening list on your podcast player of choice using these platforms:
| Disinformation & Fake News Playlist | Running List of PBC Playlists |
| Podchaser | Listen Notes | Podyssey | Spotify | Podchaser | Listen Notes | Podyssey | Spotify |
Podcast: Raw Data
Episode: Propaganda Armies (February 2017, 35 min)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Other apps (via Podchaser or Podyssey)
This episode tackles fake news, propaganda, and misinformation from a few different angles.
Podcast: Hidden Brain
Episode: Fake News: An Origin Story (June 2018, 27 min)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Other apps (via Podchaser or Podyssey)
Fake news may seem new, but in reality, it’s as old as American journalism. This week, we look at a tension at the heart of news coverage: Should reporters think of the audience as consumers, or as citizens? Should the media give people what they want, or what they need?
Podcast: Power Corrupts
Episode: Disinformation and Deep Fakes (May 2019, 53 min)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other apps (via Podchaser or Podyssey)
Disinformation is a powerful weapon. It forces your enemy to inflict damage upon themselves based upon lies that you’ve deliberately spread. How did a homeless man’s corpse help win World War II? How does reality television function in Russia, given that the media is so tightly controlled? And what happens when fake video gets so good that we can’t tell the difference between fiction and reality?
Podcast: Function with Anil Dash
Episode: How To Save the 2020 Election: Stopping Fake News (November 2019, 45 min)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Other apps (via Podchaser or Podyssey)
Are social networks downplaying their complicity in the problem that is “fake news?” Anil talks to Fadi Quran of the people powered social advocacy group, Avaaz, about how tech is used to target groups of people and spread disinformation that affects our elections, relationships, and social justice movements. Together they discuss insidious nature of disinformation and misinformation, meet its victims, and go over solutions.
Podcast: Solvable
Episode: Fake News is Solvable (July 2019, 26 min)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Other apps (via Podchaser or Podyssey)
Anne Applebaum talks to Renée DiResta about building a more trustworthy Internet.
Bonus episodes:
- “Fighting Fake News, with Anya Schiffrin” by Carnegie Council Audio Podcast (Sept 5, 2018)
- “Episode #25: The Draft, Doctrine, and The Duck” by ArtCurious Podcast (Sept 25, 2017)
- “Fake News: Finding It, Fighting It” by The Mind Online (May 3, 2019)
PBC Podcast Episodes on Disinformation & Fake News
- Disinformation & Fake News listening list roundup
A discussion about this month’s listening list
- Anil Dash, host of Function with Anil Dash
An interview with Anil Dash, host of the Function with Anil Dash podcast. We listened to his episode entitled “How To Save the 2020 Election: Stopping Fake News” as part of this month’s podcast listening list above.
- Hidden Brain host, Rhaina Cohen
An interview with Rhaina Cohen. Rhaina is the producer on the Hidden Brain episode, “Fake News: An Origin Story.”
Conversation Starter Questions
- Have you ever shared an article that turned out to be fake news?
- Do you ever use sites like PolitiFact or Snopes?
- How should epistemic vigilance should be taught in classrooms?
- Does the power of social media to organize social movements outweigh its danger as a potential tool for spreading disinformation?
- Should newspapers treat their readers as consumers or as citizens?
- Is there another example of disinformation in history you can think of?
- What impact do you think deepfakes will have on future elections?
- Have you heard of Avaaz before? Do you think social media platforms should add “correct the record” to fake news like Factbook.org?
- Is freedom of expression the same as freedom of mass dissemination?
DJ RuggedAngel’s Fake News Music Playlist
A little musical accompaniment for this month’s listening list from our very own DJ, DJ RuggedAngel.
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