Social Work Practice in the Era of Fake News
Summary
The term "post-truth," the Oxford Dictionaries 2016 Word of the Year, reflects an era where everyone is a few clicks away from information that supports any goal, belief, or outcome desired whether or not that information is factual. Evaluating information and recognizing "fake news" is a critical skill for everyone. For social workers, advocates, policy makers, and others responsible for human well-being, it's essential to find reliable data and other evidence to promote best practice and avoid the dangers of inaccurate information. Skill in locating and evaluating information can also help a practitioner work with clients and others who bring incorrect information into an interaction. This mini-course will address the following:
- Understanding the phenomenon of fake news in the information landscape
- Building strategies for spotting fake news
- Addressing best approaches to locate "real" news
- Learning how to fact-check data and statistics
- Ways in which information is organized, structured, and delivered to support the dominant social narratives in the U.S.
- Understanding the phenomenon of fake news in the information landscape
- Building strategies for spotting fake news
- Addressing best approaches to locate "real" news
- Learning how to fact-check data and statistics
- Ways in which information is organized, structured, and delivered to support the dominant social narratives in the U.S.
- Describe how people acquire and retain information.
- Define terminology used in the course.
- Describe strategies for locating credible sources.
- To continue building skills and strategies for locating credible sources at a more nuanced level.
- Describe the origins of "fake news" and how it enters our awareness.
- Critique information that appears as data.
- Critique visual displays of information.
- Describe how algorithms work and where they can become problematic.
- Describe information marketing and surveillance capitalism.
- Describe dominant social narratives and how privilege plays into our understanding of and access to information.
- Analyze and evaluate how privilege and dominant social narratives affect the news we see and don't see.
- Assess the role of publishers, web builders, and other producers of information in the creation of our news environment.
- Outline strategies for communicating respectfully against fake news.
- Describe strategies for challenging misinformation.
- Apply communication strategies to specific types of interactions and how to work within those scenarios (e.g. talking with a client, funder, supervisor, politician).
Agenda
| Date | Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2019 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Introductions -- get to know each other and the course plan, why this is important for social workers |
| October 2, 2019 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | How do we define fake news, how do we identify what is "fake" |
| October 2, 2019 | 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Strategies for locating credible news sources online |
| October 9, 2019 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Building strategies, developing our search skills (continued from previous week) |
| October 9, 2019 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Why does "fake news" exist |
| October 9, 2019 | 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Developing statistical and data literacy; critiquing the numbers |
| October 16, 2019 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Developing our critical skills, information literacy, "fake news" and visual information |
| October 16, 2019 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | What are algorithms and what is their role in leading us to fake news |
| October 16, 2019 | 7:00pm - 8:00pm | What is information marketing, how Google, Facebook and others turn people in products |
| October 23, 2019 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Privilege and dominant social narratives, what is this, how do we experience it; issues of privilege and access |
| October 23, 2019 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | How dominant narratives feed our media |
| October 23, 2019 | 7:00pm - 8:00pm | what is the role of publishers, editors, web managers; what does this look like in real life |
| October 30, 2019 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm | How do we communicate respectfully with others in an era of fake news |
| October 30, 2019 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Continuing strategies on communication with others; how can we "change their minds" |
| October 30, 2019 | 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Specific types of communication with supervisors, funders, clients, colleagues, policy makers |
Instructor
Darlene Nicholsface-to-face semester course (mini-course)
Sessions
- 10/2/2019 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- 10/9/2019 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- 10/16/2019 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- 10/23/2019 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- 10/30/2019 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
CE Contact Hours
- 15 regular in-person
Skill Level
Beginner
Location
U-M School of Social Work
1080 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
1080 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Room: 1636
Fees
$265.00
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