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Two Michigan Tech professors are attempting to explain the cost of bad information in our political and public health discourse. Sue Collins and Stefka Hristova, both from the Humanities Department, have an exhibit up until November 21st in the Van Pelt and Opie Library on campus.
Additionally, they hosted a talk last week by Joan Donovan of Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. The next day they showed the film After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News in Fisher 135 in conjunction with the MTU Film Board, followed by a discussion.
Collins talks about how bad information keeps several professions busy with things that used to fall outside their normal job duties.
The two say that the conversation is important to have at Tech because of the role that algorithms and social media play in the spread of bad information.
The two have several films showing at the 41 North Film Festival this week. You can find a full list here.
Collins says that a majority of “fake news” and disinformation comes from far right sources, many tied to foreign entities.
