Module Specifications..
Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024
Please note that this information is subject to change.
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Description This module will examine wide-ranging concerns about information manipulation and democracy. It will situate these concerns within normative theories of democratic citizenship; debates about the nature of truth, evidence, and expertise; and arguments about the affordances the media environment. Lectures will also address the definitional challenges surrounding disinformation; the evidence for claims about the causes and harms of disinformation; and the benefits and drawbacks of major countermeasures including factchecking, pre-bunking, and media literacy. Students will apply theoretical and empirical insights to contemporary case studies through group and individual assignments. Throughout, students will be expected to engage with a wide-range of reading materials including policy documents, research papers, reports, and journalism. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Learning Outcomes 1. Understand the normative role of informed citizens within democracies. 2. Evaluate claims about truth, evidence, and expertise. 3. Assess the causes and impacts of information manipulation. 4. Apply theoretical and empirical insights to case studies 5. Compare the benefits and limitations of different countermeasures. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Lecture topics1. Normative theory: what should citizens be informed? 2. Evidence and objectivity: deciding what is true 3. Expertise and experience: deciding who to trust 4. Information filters: the role of journalism 5. Information filters: the role of online platforms 6. Distortion and deception: 7. Group presentations (case study) 8. Group presentations (case study) 9. Countering deception: reactions 10. Countering deception: preemptive 11. Conclusion: political contexts and future directions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List
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Other Resources 59569, Website, 0, The Media Manipulation Casebook, https://mediamanipulation.org/, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Programme or List of Programmes
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