Module: Disinformation and Democracy

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Disinformation and Democracy
Module Code	POL1098
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Law & Government
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10

Description

Disinformation features prominently in contemporary and historical politics. It interfaces with, variously: democracy, autocracy, elections, foreign influence operations, violent extremism, online harassment, ‘culture wars’, content moderation, and so on. Interdisciplinary in nature, the module draws on several literatures—including Communication Studies, Political Psychology, Philosophy, Terrorism Studies, and (Critical) Disinformation Studies—and provides students with tools to develop holistic understand(s) of contemporary, digital politics. In a world where distinctions between ‘online’ and ‘offline’ worlds continue to shrink, critical interrogations of disinformation and democracy are essential to understanding how matters of security affect current political realities—and may shape those of the future.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge of the historical antecedents of propaganda, disinformation, and (violent) extremism
2. Familiarity with a range of disciplines, including Communication Studies, Political Psychology, Terrorism Studies, and (Critical) Disinformation Studies
3. An appreciation of the impact and effects that conspiracy-led extremism has had on contemporary democracy
4. The ability to discern the role of social media platforms in the spread of disinformation and the role (and limits) of content moderation; Recognising the instruments—and logics—of digital influence operations
5. Engagement with region-specific understandings/experiences of disinformation, including in: Europe; the US; Latin America (Brazil); South Asia (India); Southeast Asia (Thailand and Philippines) and East Asia (Taiwan and Japan).

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	24	No Description
Assignment Completion	60	No Description
Online activity	30	No Description
Independent Study	136	No Description
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	21472	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	100%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	James Fitzgerald	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

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

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Johan Farkas,Jannick Schou: 0, Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy, 9781032563039

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None