What role do podcasts play in spreading information about climate change? For a research project on environmental communication, I explored how these issues are discussed in podcasts. I found that serious channels with the ambition to inform about climate change issues share the space with channels with a dubious agenda and a loose relationship to facts.
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Lessons from research on the governance of misinformation in everyday life apply widely to individual and community experiences.
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Information plays an important role in helping people make informed decisions and advocate for themselves socially, economically, and politically. However, not everyone has fair or equitable access to information. Information science scholars term this information inequity—the individual and societal factors that limit an individual, group, or nation’s access to information. Addressing information inequities by identifying and rectifying their causes is essential to helping all people fully participate in our society and democratic system.
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This translation of the authors’ recent ARIST review, “Sociotechnical Governance of Misinformation,” highlights the urgency and importance of empirical research on misinformation governance to inform decision-making and policy-making in support of a healthier information environment.
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In an age where social media is pervasive and misinformation is rampant, maintaining a healthy online environment is crucial for curbing the spread of unverified rumors. Social media platforms often employ anti-rumor campaigns to foster a positive public atmosphere. However, a fundamental question remains: can these initiatives truly resonate with the public and prompt positive behavioral change? Do such campaigns have the power to influence people’s thoughts and actions in their daily lives?
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It’s tricky for people to agree on what counts as quality information. We see this every day with echo chambers on social media, where everyone has their own idea of what’s true or important. This suggests that information quality is a product of our own, individual minds—one that is best captured in “like,” “love,” “haha,” and “wow” buttons on social media. But our research suggests there’s a way to get people on the same page about information quality, and it involves making some changes to how we assess and share information online.
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COVID-19 has become the catalyst of health MIDI (misinformation and disinformation) on the World Wide Web. It is difficult for people to know what to believe. If people act on wrong information, their health may get worse. We need to be ready when the next health emergency comes. We need to know how to find good health information.
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As many countries, including Australia, Canada, and the U.S., regularly welcome immigrants with diverse backgrounds, it is essential to understand whether immigrants moving to a new country can make informed decisions by consulting formal information agencies such as the immigration ministry. What information sources do immigrants consult to gather information about their life in a new country? How helpful are they in making informed decisions about life in their host country? What information is shared with immigrants by formal information agencies such as the immigration consultants?
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AI is a critical tool in addressing complex global issues, including climate change, by analyzing vast datasets and modeling potential solutions. However, this journey towards harnessing AI’s potential is accompanied by a pressing concern: the proliferation of misinformation generated by AI systems, such as fabricating references by ChatGPT.
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If we think about phrases, cliches, or old adages in the English language, many of them are rooted in a color, or the lack thereof. Many of these phrases also speak to the phenomenon of disinformation, its spread, and its entrenchment in our daily lives. This short essay will introduce several such colorful phrases.
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