There’s nothing more important than trust, especially in journalism. From April 10 to May 1, the National Press Club Journalism Institute produced a four-part training series focused on ethics in the age of disinformation.
More than a dozen experts in media literacy and disinformation tactics explored questions like: Why are people susceptible to rumors and spreading false information? How does disinformation spread in the current political landscape? And how can journalists champion news literacy in their communities?
The series, produced in part with funding from the Inasmuch Foundation, provided tools and best practices to support ethical, trustworthy journalism. Here are some of the highlights from the series, along with the video replays.
Why We Believe: Framing the disinformation crisis for journalists
The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the American Psychological Association, and PEN America produced a panel offering strategies for coverage that informs and empowers communities and discussed the ways disinformation has affected the practice of journalism. See highlights from this conversation.
Panelists:
- Tiffany Hsu, reporter on the technology team covering misinformation and disinformation, New York Times
- Shannon Jankowski, program director, journalism and disinformation for PEN America
- Jay Van Bavel, director of the Social Identity & Morality Lab and associate professor of psychology and neural science, New York University
- Moderator: Beth Francesco, executive director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute
Additional resources:
- Hard News: Journalists and the threat of disinformation (PEN America) / Facts Forward: A journalist’s guide to combating disinformation (PEN America)
- Misinformation vs. disinformation (American Psychological Association)
- Using psychological science to fight misinformation: A guide for journalists (American Psychological Association)
- The anatomy of a misinformation attack (American Psychological Association)
- What to know about disinformation and how to address it (Stanford News)
Ethics, Trust & The News: How journalists can build and support a culture of credibility
Standards editors at national news outlets raised the curtain on the important discussions that guide their outlets’ coverage, including rigorously fact-checking reporting to framing global conflicts to language choices and beyond.
Panelists:
- Amanda Barrett, vice president of news, standards and inclusion for The Associated Press
- Anita Kumar, senior managing editor, North America, and standards editor for POLITICO
- Natalia Mironova, editor of news standards and best practices for Voice of America
- Eileen O’Reilly, managing editor for standards and training for Axios and NPCJI board member
- David Peterkin, vice president of news practices for ABC News
- Moderator: Ed Kelley, dean emeritus at Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and NPCJI board member
Additional resources:
Disinformation & The Public: How journalists can champion news literacy and empower their communities
Experts on news and information literacy shared strategies to help the public fact-check the information it interacts with. See highlights from this conversation.
Panelists:
- Tamoa Calzadilla, editor in chief of Factchequeado and creator of the bilingual Guide for Journalists Covering Latino and Spanish-Speaking Communities
- Henry Hicks, manager, U.S. Free Expressions Programs for PEN America
- Mollie Muchna, project manager for Trusting News and adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism
- Dr. Kate Starbird, co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington and associate professor in the university’s Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering
- Moderator: Delano Massey, managing editor of local at Axios and NPCJI board member
Additional resources:
- Facts, frames, and (mis)interpretations: Understanding rumors as collective sensemaking (Center for an Informed Public)
- With new IMLS grant, CIP researchers launch project to create a comprehensive, nationwide information literacy program for public libraries
- Trust Kit: News Literacy (Trusting News) / Trusting News newsroom examples
- Factchequeado.com
- Introducing: A bilingual guide for journalists covering Latino and Spanish-speaking communities
- Disinformation (PEN America) / Trusted Messengers (PEN America)
Disinformation, Elections & Democracy: How journalists can spot and disarm current tactics to influence voters
This panel offered insights into the current tactics being used by disinformation specialists to disrupt the 2024 election and what journalists can do to counter them. See highlights from this conversation.
Panelists:
- Tina Barton, senior elections expert, Committee for Safe and Secure Elections
- Yael Eisenstat, senior fellow at Cybersecurity for Democracy and PEN America consultant
- Christine Fernando, democracy reporter, Associated Press
- Sheera Frenkel, technology reporter for the New York Times
- Chad Lorenz, editor-in-chief, Votebeat (moderator)
Additional resources:
- Covering elections and voting in 2024: A media guide (The Elections Group)
- Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s livestream tour (on April 22) of Maricopa County’s Tabulation and Election Center
- Few Republicans have confidence in elections. It’s a long road for one group trying to change that (Associated Press) / As social media guardrails fade and AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections (Associated Press)
- How misinformation ‘superspreaders’ seed false election theories (New York Times) / The Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s battle for domination and how misinformation spreads on Facebook (book by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang)
- Votebeat stories on election misinformation
- How cognitive biases make us vulnerable to disinformation – and what we can do about it (PEN America)
What participants said:
“Because of this program, I feel equipped with a deeper understanding of the role journalists play in combatting disinformation and promoting news literacy. I plan to integrate the valuable insights gained from the discussion into my work, particularly by implementing effective fact-checking strategies and advocating for news literacy initiatives within our organization and community. … I am committed to playing an active role in empowering our audience with the tools they need to navigate today’s complex information environment.”
“This was phenomenal! I have recommended it to multiple people and plan to sign up for future lectures in the future!”
“Because of this program, I will continue to be diligent about uncovering my own biases and doing the tedious job of verifying and more verifying.”
“I am a member of the public but I feel so much more informed to have dialogues about this.”
“Very informative about the challenges we face in this difficult election where attacks on journalists are more constant. I will take the information given to self evaluate our work so that [we] can provide a better coverage to our borders community.”
“Because of this program I better understand best practices around debunking disinformation without perpetuating it. Good specific examples of what journalists are grappling with and how these problems have evolved since 2016.”