Critically Analyzing Conspiracy Theories

Renee HobbsProfessor of Communication StudiesDirector, Media Education LabUniversity of Rhode Island USATwitter: @reneehobbs

A Workshop:

Critically Analyzing Conspiracy Theories

Landeszentrale fur politische Bildung Berlin

May 19, 2017

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

www.mediaeducationlab.com

Summer Institute in Digital LiteracyJuly 23 – 28, 2017

Can learning about conspiracy theories advance your digital and media literacy competencies?

LOVE HATE

CONSPIRACY THEORIESHow Many Do You Recognize?

Who Killed JFK? 9/11 Area 51 HolocaustBirtherism Moon Landings Jesus and Mary Magdalene IlluminatiCIA Experiments ChemtrailsElvis EbolaVaccines Global Warming

DEFINE SOME VOCABULARY WORDS TO UNDERSTAND CONSPIRACY THEORIES

conspiracyanxietyhoaxparanoidpessimism“false flag”

Are conspiracy theories beneficial, harmless or harmful?

Should students learn to critically analyze conspiracy theories in school? Why or why not?

Some Conspiracy Theories are True

Conspiracy Theories in an Information Age

1. Choice Overload2. Sharing in a Network Culture3. Six Types of Fake News4. New Forms of Authority5. Norms of Human Information Processing6. Why We Share7. How Context Shapes Text 8. Familiarity = Believability

Choice Overload

entertainmentinformationpersuasion

New Realities in a Networked Global Society

Cost to produce content is low

Massive fragmentation of production & consumption

Viral sharing means popularity = profit

Content is consumed as unbundled snippets on social media

Six Types of Fake News

Disinformation

Propaganda

Hoax

Parody/Satire

Errors in Journalism

Partisanship

Informing and Engaging the Public

Controlling Knowledge, Attitudes & Values

Cultural Criticism or Creative Expression

New Forms of Authority

Attention economics is surpassing traditional forms of authority and expertise

our attention — and most of it free —being found is valuable."

Immediacy

Personalization

Interpretation

Findability

Selective exposure

Confirmation bias

Reality maintenance

Performative sharing

60% of people share content without reading/viewing it

Human Information Processing

Report from Iron Mountain

Government commission concludes: Peace is not in the interest of a stable society.

Even if lasting peace "could be achieved, it would almost certainly not be in the best interests of society to achieve it.”

Context Shapes Text

Becomes a best selling book, translated into 15 languages

1972: Leonard Lewinadmits he is the author & explains its purpose as dark political satire

Context Shapes Text

1990:Liberty Lobby publishes the report as a public domain document

Right-wing websites re-distribute it online

Context Shapes Text

Both LEFT AND RIGHT WING radicals believe that government creates war for economic benefit

Context Shapes Text

Familiarity Equals Believability

THE POWER OF A SINGLE EXPOSURE

Participants who were exposed to a conspiracy video were significantly less likely to :• think that there is widespread scientific agreement on

human-caused climate change• sign a petition to help reduce global warming • donate or volunteer for a charity in the next six months.

--Daniel Jolley and Karen Douglas, 2013

Autocomplete Censorship

Media Literacy: A Pedagogy of Inquiry

TEAM 1


TEAM 2


TEAM 3

What did you learn?

What new questions have emerged?

TIME TO REFLECT

Workshop: Critically Analyzing Conspiracy Theories

http://bit.ly/markdice

Annotate a Video to Critically Analyze It

https://flipgrid.com/40fe49

REFLECT ON SOMETHING YOU LIKED OR LEARNED Using Today’s Meet

www.todaysmeet.com/conspiracy

http://todaysmeet.com/conspiracy


“The thing is, Google search isn’t neutral. Like any other set of complex algorithms, search is shot through with the values of its creators.”

-Wohlsen, 2016

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Conspiracy theories are alarm systems that help people deal with threat. They resonate most among groups suffering from loss, weakness, or disunity.

--Uscinski & Parent, 2014

Are conspiracy theories beneficial,

harmless or harmful?

Should students learn how to critically

analyze conspiracy theories in school? Why or why not?

TIME TO REFLECT

Understand differences in the quality of information sources

Distinguish between anecdote and authoritative evidence Recognize disinformation and propaganda Understand how search engines operate Use a variety of websites with different perspectives and

recognize their points of view Apply critical questions to analyze YouTube video Appreciate the importance of source verification of online

information Participate in online dialogue by composing responses that

demonstrate independent thinking and respect for others’ views

By exploring conspiracy theories, students strengthen

critical thinking skills that advance media literacy

Discussion of conspiracy theories is motivating to adolescent learners

Students improve Internet search skills They practice reasoning and analysis skills

in a structured way They improve their communication and

collaboration skills The topic is perceived as relevant and

timely Discussion and critical analysis promotes

intellectual curiosity

Teaching about conspiracy theories risks validating them

There’s not enough time in class to examine evidence in depth

There’s too much junk information online on these topics

It’s too easy to trivialize conspiracy theories, reinforcing “us” and “them” thinking

Are conspiracy theories beneficial,

harmless or harmful?

Should students learn how to critically

analyze conspiracy theories in school? Why or why not?

TIME TO REFLECT

Conspiracy theories are constructed by people, they have an author, purpose, point of view & bias

Even brief exposures to conspiracy theories can increase their believability

Composing critical commentary about conspiracy theories using digital annotation tools may advance the development of critical thinking skills

Conspiracy theories resonate in an age of anxiety by simplifying complex and ambiguous realities

People need to take time to reflect on how conspiracy theories reflect and shape perceptions of the world

www.mindovermedia.tv@reneehobbs

www.mindovermedia.tv@reneehobbs

@reneehobbs

@reneehobbs

Digital and Media Literacy Empowers People as Both Consumers and Creators

Renee Hobbs

Professor of Communication Studies

Director, Media Education Lab

Harrington School of Communication and Media

University of Rhode Island USA

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @reneehobbs

WEB: www.mediaeducationlab.com

mailto:[email protected]