(Mis)information overload! Empowering and educating learners to detect and avoid misinformation in an online world [slides]

[Slides from a presentation given October 20, 2021 at the North Carolina Library Association Biennial Conference, online.] Misinformation isn’t a new concept; in fact, the first recorded use of “misinformation” in the Oxford English Dictionary is from the late 16th century. In recent years, misinformation seems to have become a particular cause for concern and anxiety, especially as social media use increases, social media and search engine algorithms become more refined, and technology allows for more sophisticated manipulation of audiovisual media. In this presentation, an information literacy coordinator will share her experience teaching various audiences about misinformation and disinformation, including specific techniques and activities she has used with undergraduate students as well as community members. The presentation will include different approaches to empowering and educating learners to detect and avoid misinformation and disinformation in a variety of formats, from fake news articles to deepfake videos to manipulated images shared on social media. Information about general strategies like lateral reading and Mike Caulfield’s SIFT approach will be included, as well as more specific strategies to share with students and library patrons that can be used to identify manipulated images and video content. Empowering library users to feel confident about their abilities to detect and avoid misinformation and disinformation online is one way that we as information professionals can respond to increased anxiety and concern about the spread of false information online. You’ll leave this session with ideas for topics, examples, and activities that you can use when educating your own user groups about misinformation and disinformation in an online world