Summary of Lecture Notes on Democracy, Journalism, and Fake News

These flashcards summarize key concepts and terminology from the lecture notes on democracy, journalism, and information literacy.

What is the purpose of journalism according to the lecture notes?

To provide people with the information they need to be free and self-governing.

What is classical direct democracy?

A form of democracy where people decide on policy initiatives directly.

What are the pros of representative democracy?

Elected representatives address issues, come from various locations, and are experts that can work together.

What is misinformation?

False or misleading information that is generally not intended to deceive.

What is the principal-agent problem?

It occurs when an agent does not help a principal due to a conflicting interest.

Define confirmation bias.

The tendency to seek and interpret information that confirms existing beliefs.

What is the Fourth Estate?

An independent news media or press that operates outside the established societal power structure.

What are ‘trolls’ in the context of disinformation?

Real people working to upset or confuse users, often to create political discord.

What does the term 'syndicated media' refer to?

Media that has been created or manipulated through digital or artificial means, including deep fakes.

How does fake news relate to disinformation and misinformation?

Fake news is fabricated content that mimics news media, while misinformation is incorrect information not intended to deceive, and disinformation is intentionally deceptive information.

What is the role of bots in spreading disinformation?

Bots manipulate public opinion by mimicking real people and influencing social media content.

What is 'click restraint' in the context of information literacy?

The practice of carefully assessing search engine results before clicking on links.

What is the significance of lateral reading according to the lecture?

Lateral reading involves leaving a website to gather more information, which helps in evaluating the site's credibility.

What is the goal of civic online reasoning?

To effectively search for, evaluate, and verify social and political information online.

What are synthetic media and deep fakes?

Synthetic media refers to digitally created or manipulated content, while deep fakes are created using artificial intelligence.

Define bias as mentioned in the notes.

Subjective favoring of one viewpoint over others, rather than being neutral.

What does critical thinking involve according to the lecture?

Discerning the who, what, when, where, and how of information to make informed decisions.

What challenges to information literacy are highlighted in the lecture?

Personal limitations and the limitations of information sources.