JBV3010 Facts and Fiction Course description

"Fake news", propaganda, media manipulation and other forms of disinformation have dominated the media and political landscapes over the past few years. A major question is how journalists should respond to an increasingly complex media and information landscape, which questions factuality and traditional authorities of knowledge, such as academic research. In this course, students will learn how disinformation diffuses in society, how to detect it, and which methods of fact checking and source criticism can help journalists to correct disinformation.

Knowledge

The student has knowledge of

• the role of fake news and other forms of disinformation in society
• the ways in which journalism represents and relates to facts and reality
• different methods of fact checking and source criticism
• the role of legacy, social and alternative media in diffusions of disinformation
• how to correct disinformation based on cognitive research

Skills

The student

• can perform fact checking of audio-visual, visual and textual content
• can identify disinformation
• can perform advanced search techniques
• has advanced skills in the critical assessment of sources of information

General competence

The student

•  is competent in media and information literacy
• can critically reflect on the possibilities and limitations of journalism¿s role as a conveyer of facts and truths

The course is organized in gatherings of intensive tuition, with lectures, workshops, group presentations and discussions.

Participation during class sessions is mandatory. Students who have more than 20 percent absence from class sessions will have to hand in an additional assignment.  Students who have more than 25 percent absence from class sessions will  not be qualified to take the exam.

The coursework requirements consist of three obligatory assignments. Two of the assignments will be journalistic products, and one is a discussion assignment focusing on a subject from the required reading.  All three assignments must be approved before the student can take the exam.

In the event of illness or other documented absence for compelling reasons, special deadlines can be agreed with the lecturer. If a student fails to submit work within the deadline stipulated in the course plan or agreed with the lecturer, the assignment cannot be submitted, and the student will lose the right to take the exam.

The exam is an analytical paper, 6-8 pages.

The evaluation is graded according to a scale from A to E for passed and F for not passed.

Students who have failed the ordinary examination, and students with legitimate absence, are entitled to a new examination.

Two internal evaluators will set the grades.