Strategic Communication Week 6

Page 1: Introduction

• Topic: Post-Truth & Disinformation

• Date: February 11

Page 2: Black History Month Event

• Event Title: Explore Nollywood

• Activities Include:

  • Live musical performance

  • Facilitated discussion between Dr. Godwin Simon and Dr. Wesley Crichlow

  • Film screening of "Conversations in Transit" provided by Circuit TV

• Registration: Free ticket registration available at Regent Theatre

Page 3: Discussion on Untold Oshawa

• Event Title: Untold Oshawa: An Expanded History

• Focus Areas:

  • Black history

  • Jewish history

  • Women in politics

  • Displaced settlers in Oshawa

  • Indigenous history

  • Labour history

• Facilitator: Amanda Robinson, Ontario Tech Academic Associate

• Location: Ontario Tech University Library - Dixon/Alger Reading Room

• Date & Time: March 4, 2025, 6 to 7pm

• Registration: Free registration available at Humanitix

Page 4: Documentary Screening

• Film Title: Stolen Time

• Focus: Elder rights lawyer, Melissa Miller's experiences with long-term care resident families facing neglect and abuse, especially during COVID-19.

• Discussion Following: Conversation between Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos and Melissa Miller

• Date & Time: March 5, 2025, 6:30 to 9 pm

• Location: Regent Theatre

• Registration: Free at Regent Theatre

Page 5: Provincial Election Information

• Election Date: Ontario election forthcoming

• Registered to Vote: Ensure registration and know polling locations.

• Key Resources:

  • Elections Ontario

  • Poll results on voter concerns (Top issues):

    • Healthcare (28.1%)

    • Economy (21.5%)

    • Dealing with President Trump (14.2%)

• Campaign Launch: For Our Future - Encouraging student voter participation and public funding for education.

• Campaign Demands Include:

  • Free education now

  • Fairness for the International students

  • Protect students’ rights to organize

  • Grants instead of loans

Page 6: Super Bowl Advertising

• Key Discussion Points:

  • Impact of the 1984 Super Bowl advertising

  • Reflection on latest ads and notable past ads

Page 7: Course Updates

• Upcoming Dates:

  • Feb. 25: Final Project Workshop at 8:30am, Midterm exam at 9:30am.

  • Midterm Format: Objective questions and 1 short answer question.

• Software Preparation: Follow instructions on Canvas

• Group Projects:

  • Confirm groups

  • Group Project Proposal due Feb. 14

  • Proposal details: 1-2 pages, double spaced; introduce organization/initiative, background, and new communication strategy pitch.

Page 8: Key Terms

• Misinformation: Incorrect or misleading information.

• Disinformation: Deliberately false information spread to deceive.

• Post-Truth: Reliance on opinion over facts.

• Fake News: Fabricated news presented as real.

Page 9: Historical Examples of Fake News

• USS Maine (1898): Explosion blamed on Spain, led to Spanish-American War.

• Iraq (2003): Fabricated evidence regarding weapons of mass destruction.

Page 10: Canadian Context for Fake News

• Nellie McClung: Early suffragist; involvement in controversial opinions.

• Maclean's Magazine (1922): Published "The Confessions of a She-Politician."

• Contemporary Issues: Misinformation in public health and finances, e.g., $124 million lost to cryptocurrency scams in 2023.

Page 11: Frameworks for Understanding Misinformation

• Definitions:

  • Misinformation: False or misleading, shared accidentally.

  • Disinformation: Deliberate intent to deceive.

  • Bullshit: Focused on profit, not truth.

  • Fake News: Fabricated information designed to mislead.

  • Disorientation: Public inability to distinguish truth from falsehood.

  • Malinformation: Information based in truth but presented misleadingly.

Page 12: Increase in Fake News

• 2016 US Presidential election:

  • Total engagement on Facebook: 15 million for fake news stories vs. mainstream news (12 million).

  • Fake news stories outperformed legitimate news outlets.

Page 13: Analysis of False Claims

• Trump Rally Claims: 68% of claims considered false or misleading.

• Pew Research Findings:

  • 23% of Americans admit to sharing fake news, knowingly or unknowingly.

  • Fake news creates significant confusion regarding basic facts (64% of adults).

• Prominent Incidents: "Pizzagate" incident stemming from fake news leading to public danger.

Page 14: The Reality of Today’s Facts

• Quote: Scottie Nell Hughes – Disruption of factual integrity.

• Notable Exchange: Kellyanne Conway discussing "alternative facts" with Chuck Todd, highlighting the post-truth dilemma.

Page 15: Understanding Post-Truth

• Definition: Situations where public reaction alters perceptions of facts.

• Key Insight: Facts may become secondary to political viewpoints.

Page 16: Break

• Duration: 10 minutes

Page 17: Group Worksheets

• Activity focusing on collaboration and discussion.

Page 18: Midterm Review

• Preparation for upcoming midterm examination.

Key Terms:

• Misinformation: Incorrect or misleading information.

• Skepticism: The practice of questioning the validity or authenticity of something.

• Post-truth: A situation where public opinion is often shaped more by emotion and personal belief than objective facts.

• Disinformation: Deliberately false information spread to deceive.

• Fake news: Fabricated news presented as real.

• Malinformation: Information based in truth but misrepresented to cause harm.

• Disorientation: The public's inability to distinguish truth from falsehood, often due to overwhelming conflicting information.

• Science and Reasoning: The systematic study of the natural world through observation, experimentation, and reasoning, emphasizing evidence-based conclusions.

Practice Test Questions:

• What are some of the causes of misinformation?Some causes of misinformation include:

1. Lack of critical thinking and skepticism, leading people to accept unverified information.

2. Emotional resonance, where information aligns with personal beliefs or emotions, regardless of factual accuracy.

3. The spread of disinformation purposefully created to mislead or confuse the audience.

4. The rapid dissemination of information via social media without proper verification.

5. Cognitive biases that affect how people process and accept information.