Disinformation, Misinformation, and Fake News Teach-Out

In this step, Ben Nimmo, Director of Investigations for network analysis firm Graphika, discusses how experts measure the impact of disinformation campaigns. He talks about using engagement statistics on social media as a proxy measure and the problems with that approach as an accurate metric. As a disinformation investigator, he asks himself two questions: “where is this story spreading?” and “who is picking it up?” These questions can give you an idea of the impact of a specific campaign.

Reflection: Ben suggests that we “think before we click” and encourages people to understand what it is that they are sharing before amplifying its impact. Reflecting on the activity in the beginning of this Teach-Out, what would you do differently when considering sharing a news article or social media post? How has your thinking evolved? What impact might our social media behaviors have on the way false information flows?