Know News: Engaging with Mis- and Disinformation

To confront the challenges of mis- and disinformation and “fake news,” Simmons College School of Library and Information Science and the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities will be hosting a cross-disciplinary symposium on April 21st-22nd, 2018.

This symposium will bring together more than 80 people from the fields of library science, journalism, education, and allied professions for an intensive and interactive forum with a focus on developing actionable solutions.  During the two day symposium, participants will engage in collaborative brainstorming and small and large group activities to explore:

  • how we construct, assess for, and signal authority and authoritative information
  • how we develop public trust
  • how we can leverage expertise and market reach across disciplines to develop impactful and sustainable responses to the challenges of mis- and disinformation.

The activities will culminate in a suite of proposals with a focus on libraries as “living laboratories” for implementing responses to mis- and disinformation.

The main goals of this symposium are to:

  1. Identify ways journalists, librarians, educators, and allied professionals can work together (at local and/or national levels) with consumers to enhance access to, and understanding of, news,

  2. Identify ways for LIS and Journalism educators to best to prepare the next generation of professionals, and,

  3. Define a research agenda

This website will be continually updated with news about the symposium, and the resultant ideas and projects.  Please check back often!

This cooperative event is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).