Dialogue: Disinformation in the Digital Age

September 10, 2019

Disinformation – the purposeful spread of false or misleading information — is an ancient phenomenon but has exploded in recent years thanks to modern technologies including social media. Reality increasingly is being distorted by fake videos, fake people and cries of “fake news.” And it’s getting easier to generate fakes and to spread them instantly and virally.

What are the consequences of the rising tide of disinformation? Can anything be done to fight fakes without endangering our fundamental values including freedom of speech? What will happen if we fail to rein in disinformation?

We discuss this timely issue with Jeffrey Trimble, a lecturer in the School of Communication and Department of Political Science at Ohio State. Before coming to Ohio State in 2018, Trimble, an international journalist and media manager for more than 35 years, helped to create programs by U.S. government-funded international broadcasting to counter global disinformation from Russia and other countries and non-state actors.

The discussion was moderated by Nicole Kraft, an award-winning reporter, editor and magazine journalist who is an assistant professor (clinical) of public affairs journalism in Ohio State’s School of Communication. Her areas of expertise include news, sports and feature writing, social media, sports communication, media law and ethics, and academic use of mobile technology.