The Multiverse of Misinformation, Episode 10 - Fake News

Welcome to the Multiverse of Misinformation, a podcast about misinformation and the way it affects the many facets of our life, produced by the California Center for Ethics and Policy--or “CCEP” --at Cal Poly Pomona and generously supported by the Cal Poly Pomona Special Projects for Improving the Classroom Experience grant program.

This season, we explore the many ways in which misinformation affects our everyday lives through influencing, distorting, or driving the discourse in our society.  In the past few years, the idea of misinformation has entered the zeitgeist through the concept of “fake news,” or online conspiracy theories shared by your relatives on Facebook, which is probably what most listeners will think of when they hear the term.  However, misinformation is neither a new, nor a specifically online problem. In these episodes, the CCEP student fellows use examples from our own class discussions as well as their own lived experience to illustrate the many ways in which misinformation influences what we think, how we act, and what we believe.

In this final journey through the misinformation multiverse, student fellow Silas Hood unpacks the origin of the term “fake news,” the rise of its utility following the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, and the societal impacts associated with that rise.  Helping him navigate this phenomenon will be Dr. Hyungjin Gill, an assistant professor of Communication at Cal Poly Pomona, who will provide insightful commentary regarding the topic, particularly in the use of the term “fake news” by political elites.  The correlating distrust in mainstream and local media is a matter of concern, and Silas hopes that by drawing attention to and better understanding the term “fake news” we can help move away from its use as a misleading moniker used to counter arguments that conflict with our own personal narratives.

We ask that if you like what you hear, if you care about these issues, please share our podcast with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for our next season!