Political Misinformation in the Age of Social Media

Why are false and unsupported beliefs about politics and public policy so prevalent and hard to address? What role does social media play in the spread of misinformation? And what role should it play? With the rise of the 24-hour news cycle and the rapid communication of specialized information via the internet, the potential for the spread of false information is perhaps greater than at any time in history. The enduring obstacle of political misinformation is the fundamental problem of democratic citizenship. Drawing upon experts at MIT, in government, and at leading tech companies, combined with my expertise in the field of misinformation. My course will give large numbers of undergraduates hands-on experience on the causes and consequences of misinformation in the United States.