Peacebuilding Conference Set for Park University
The Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference, held annually, recently featured a session titled "Combating Misinformation: Tools and Techniques." This session, held at Park University’s Center for Global Peace Journalism, aimed to address strategies in academia and professional journalism to combat misinformation.
The event, which ran from noon to 1:15 p.m. on November 9, 2022, at the McCoy Meetin' House on the University’s flagship Parkville Campus, was free and open to the public. The session concluded with a panel discussion and questions-and-answer session.
The session likely covered strategies such as media literacy education, psychological inoculation techniques (pre-bunking), and leveraging behavioral and computational tools to detect coordinated disinformation efforts.
The key strategies discussed generally align with the following approaches:
- Media Literacy and Critical Thinking: This approach focuses on training individuals—students and journalists—to critically evaluate information sources, identify logical fallacies, and analyze narratives with empathy rather than judgment.
- Technological and Analytical Tools: Advanced behavioral trace analysis and network modeling were discussed as methods to detect coordinated disinformation campaigns, particularly those by state actors using trolls and cross-platform coordination.
- Critical Examination of Media Ecosystems: This approach acknowledges that misinformation is not just an individual issue but also a structural problem involving corporate algorithms, media consolidation, and geopolitical interests.
- Balanced Use of AI and Caution with Emerging Technologies: The evolving role of AI-generated content in misinformation was addressed, with a focus on the quality and impact of AI-driven misinformation rather than just its volume.
Susan Dawson-O'Brien, adjunct instructor of journalism and media communications, and student media coordinator at Johnson County (Kan.) Community College, presented on misinformed students in academia. The program also featured three speakers discussing misinformation and disinformation, with Steven Youngblood, founding director of the CGPJ and associate professor of communication arts at Park University, providing an overview and definitions. Derek Donovan, community engagement editor at The Kansas City Star, presented on misinformation and professional journalism.
The speakers discussed the impact of misinformation and disinformation on the academic world and professional journalism. The session’s precise details may not be fully disclosed in the search results, but these are the widely supported and current best practices in combating misinformation in academia and professional journalism as reflected in recent research and discussions connected to the field of global peace journalism.
Engaging in education-and-self-development by learning about strategies to combat misinformation can lead to personal-growth, as highlighted in the session titled "Combating Misinformation: Tools and Techniques" at the Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference. The session emphasized the importance of media literacy and critical thinking, technological tools, and the critical examination of media ecosystems to address misinformation in academia and professional journalism.
