LWVD & DPL Collaborative Series: Detecting Disinformation and “Pink Slime” Sites

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The Detroit Public Library and the League of Women Voters of Detroit continue their 2021 collaborative series with a virtual forum on Detecting Disinformation and “Pink Slime” Sites (Tuesday, November 9 at 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.).

This is a follow-up to the webinar last winter by Pen America (Mis/disinformation…Where to Find It, How to Identify It) and delves more deeply into the issues surrounding and identifying those sites with “pink slime.”  Hannah Waltz of Pen America will present.

Follow the Eventbrite link to register: https://dpl-disinformation.eventbrite.com. The hosts will send the Zoom link to registrants.

As disinformation campaigns grow more sophisticated, it can become more difficult to detect false content online. This can lead to a number of harmful outcomes including a decline in public trust in the press, polarized communities, and fractured civic dialogue. Fortunately, we can take a proactive approach in media literacy to counter these effects. PEN America believes it is vital to equip the public with the knowledge and skills to become more discerning news consumers, fit to defend themselves against disinformation about voting, public health, and beyond, which includes being able to recognize “pink slime” websites and other sites promoting false content.

During this session, we’ll discuss the basics of media literacy including terminology, psychology, and a brief history of how disinformation campaigns disenfranchise voters and threaten public health, and then we’ll dive deeper into how media literacy skills can be used to spot sites posing as real news sources, foster peaceful dialogue and connections as well as civic engagement. Participants will walk away with concrete strategies for guarding against misleading content online as part of PEN America’s Media Literacy Toolkit, as well as tips on how to source credible information.

This webinar is sponsored by the Detroit League and Detroit Public Library as part of their 2021 collaborative series promoting voter education and tools for action.