News, Fake News, and Spin: Deciding Who to Trust in an Age of Disinformation

Deciding which media to trust can be confusing. At the height of the 2016 election, Americans actually clicked on fake news more often than on professional reporting. In this talk, Michael Edmonds will explain how to recognize bias, propaganda, fake news, and filter bubbles. He'll show you how to analyze messages, evaluate arguments, assess evidence, and locate reliable sources – skills that are more important than ever in this election year. Edmonds worked as a research librarian at the Wisconsin Historical Society and taught information studies at the University of Wisconsin for more than 30 years. This fall he’s teaching about disinformation and critical thinking for public libraries, high schools, and Madison Area Technical College.