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Minor

Mis- and Disinformation

Despite the many alarming messages about the disruptive impact of deceptive and false information, we know little about the role of mis- and disinformation in the current media landscape, their effects on different groups of people, and how to effectively deal with the challenges of mis- and disinformation. In this minor, we delve deeper into understanding how, when and why mis- and disinformation are influential, whilst developing solutions to prevent or counter their impact on society.

In this minor, you will learn about how mis- and disinformation are spread across different domains, how it influences individuals and society, and what we can do to prevent their effects and make people more resistant to deceptive persuasive attempts. The minor maps the different issues affected by mis- and disinformation, such as political communication, journalism, health communication, environmental communication, and corporate communication. You will also learn about technological developments in promoting and countering mis- and disinformation. Beyond applying knowledge to concrete cases, you will develop evidence-based responses to the threats of misinformation and disinformation. This minor is a perfect fit if you are interested in understanding undermining forces of information flows, and ways to combat these in evidence-based manners.  

Study programme

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Misinformation across issues, platforms and audiences
    6

    We will outline the landscape of misinformation by zooming in on various contexts and domains of false information: e.g. how does misinformation presents itself in the health domain, how it can be regarded as a persuasive political communication tactic, and how it may be spread by (big tech) corporations. The course will also explore how different audiences (younger, older generations) are confronted with misinformation across different offline and online platforms.

  • The psychology of misinformation
    6

    This course will delve deeper into the individual level of processing false information. What psychological processes make people more susceptible to misinformation? We will discuss the role of cognitive factors, as well as socio-affective factors such as biases and heuristics, emotions, and motivated reasoning. We will also consider the psychology behind the workings of different interventions.

  • Technological developments in misinformation
    6

    This course will delve deeper into the role that emerging technologies play in enhancing the threats (but also remedies) of misinformation. For example, misinformation is amplified by the digital communication ecology, whereas AI can create hyper-realistic disinformation narratives (deep fakes) whilst maximizing their impact through algorithmic persuasion. The course will explore how social media’s affordances and AI may shape the content, dissemination, effects, and remedies of false information.

  • The crisis of trust
    6

    We will discuss the wider context in which mis- and disinformation are embedded: Issues toward declining trust in institutions and corporations, including the mass media. It will further explain how disinformation may exist as a weaponized issue and blame-shifting label delegitimizing corporate actors and the media. It will also consider how different organizations have to deal with an information environment in which trust is in constant decline.

  • Developing solutions to counter and prevent misinformation
    6

    Crucially, if misinformation is seen as a threat to society, we should also prevent or counter its negative impact. The final course will therefore be practically oriented: Based on the knowledge gained in the minor, you will design your own intervention to either prevent or counter misinformation. You will work on one of four cases developed with stakeholders from practice (related to corporate, entertainment, persuasive, and political communication).

Entry requirements

A basic understanding of communication science theories is recommended, as well as an understanding of research methods and statistics in the social sciences.  This minor has a maximum capacity of 50 students (of which 25 spots are reserved for Communication Science students). If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, admission will be randomly allocated, provided entry requirements are met as listed in the Course Catalogue.

Application and Admission

Check the Course Catalogue (available in May) for information on the procedure for application and admission.

Facts & Figures
Mode
Full-time
Credits
30 ECTS, 6 months
Language of instruction
English
Starts in
February
Location
Roeterseiland campus