Detecting Disinformation and "Pink Slime" False Content Posing as News / PEN America

Detecting Disinformation and "Pink Slime" False News Content

Organization: PEN America

Date and time: Tue, November 9, 2021 @ 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM PST

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/detecting-disinformation-and-pink-slime-sites-tickets-192801272797


As disinformation campaigns grow more sophisticated, it can become more difficult to detect false content online.

This can lead to a number of harmful outcomes including a decline in public trust in the press, polarized communities, and fractured civic dialogue. Fortunately we can take a proactive approach in media literacy to counter these effects.

PEN America believes it is vital to equip the public with the knowledge and skills to become more discerning news consumers, fit to defend themselves against disinformation about voting, public health, and beyond, which includes being able to recognize "pink slime" websites and other sites promoting false content.

During this session, we'll discuss the basics of media literacy including terminology, psychology, and a brief history of how disinformation campaigns disenfranchise voters and threaten public health, and then we'll dive deeper into how media literacy skills can be used to spot sites posing as real news sources, as well as foster peaceful dialogue and connections as well as civic engagement.

Participants will walk away with concrete strategies for guarding against misleading content online as part of PEN America’s Media Literacy Toolkit, as well as tips on how to source credible information.

League of Women Voters Detroit and the Detroit Public Library are partnering in these talks promoting voter education and tools for action. Hannah Waltz of PEN America will present.


ABOUT: PEN America

https://pen.org/about-us/

Founded in 1922, PEN America is the largest of the more than 100 centers worldwide that make up the PEN International network. PEN America works to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others.

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.

PEN America, a registered 501(c)(3) organization.