Living with Misinformation

Tanya Notley is Professor in the School of Arts and a member of the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. She is an engaged, practice-based media researcher, who collaborates with communities, governments and industries to support digital inclusion and media literacy.Michael Dezuanni is Professor in the School of Communication at the Queensland University of Technology. He is internationally recognised for his expertise in media literacy education, and undertakes research in the areas of digital media, literacies and learning in home, school and community contexts.Sora Park is Professor of Communication and Director of the News & Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra. She is internationally recognised as an expert in digital media users and media policy, with a special focus on news audiences and digital inclusion.T. J. Thomson is Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow and Associate Professor of Visual Communication at RMIT University, where he co-leads the News, Technology and Society Network. His research centres on visual journalism, visual culture and AI as well as media and visual literacies.Aimee Hourigan is Research Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child at the Queensland University of Technology. Her research and practice explore how children, young people and adults can grow their digital and media literacies to become active, critical and creative digital citizens.

• 1. Introduction 2. Understanding misinformation 3. Experiencing misinformation 4. Responding to misinformation 5. Conclusion

Clearly and engagingly written, Living with Misinformation brings together a substantial, multi-faceted body of research that shows how media education can help to deal with the information crises. It addresses the scale and the inherent difficulty of the issues in a balanced and careful way, taking us beyond wishful thinking and superficial ‘checklist’ approaches. At a time when it might be tempting merely to despair, this book presents practical educational strategies that build constructively on existing approaches, and offers powerful grounds for hope. David Buckingham, Honorary Professor, UCL Institute of Education, LondonLiving with Misinformation provides a thought-provoking, insightful and expansive view of media literacy—not just as a response to misinformation, but as a movement to recenter our core values in a pursuit to thrive in this digital moment. Those interested in navigating our culture of misinformation through a holistic model for media literacy pedagogy and practice will find this book thought-provoking, insightful and highly relevant. Professor Paul Mihailidis, Emerson College, BostonMisinformation is now endemic, and no amount of legislation or technosolutionism alone will make it go away. This timely and important book argues persuasively that our best hope of protecting people from its harms is to build up their media literacies — and it outlines a comprehensive, practical framework for doing so. Essential reading for anyone affected by misinformation, or in other words, all of us.Professor Axel Bruns, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of TechnologyInformation pollution poses complex threats to individuals, communities, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on world-class research, Living with Misinformation makes an intervention by analysing how it is understood and experienced, and offering an evidence-based response that puts comprehensive and ongoing media literacy education at its centre.Professor Lisa Waller, School of Media and Communication, RMIT UniversityLiving with Misinformation offers a realistic perspective on one of the world's most pressing challenges. It equips readers with the media literacy, critical thinking, and strategies needed to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape. Deeply relevant, this book is an important resource for anyone seeking to make more informed decisions in a world where misinformation is an unavoidable part of daily life.Dr. Belinha De Abreu, President, International Council for Media Literacy There is no inoculation against digital manipulation, but this book provides clarity and more importantly, hope. Timely and evidence-based, it responds to the defining challenge of contemporary Australia, misinformation. Illustrating that with lifelong effort, we can remain curious, critical, and confident in a world of pink-slime journalism and democratic backsliding.Lisa Bateman, President, Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)Living with Misinformation is a book for our present moment. It combines rigorous research on how people evaluate online information with evidence-based guidance for navigating today's information environment.Dr. Joel Breakstone, Executive Director, Digital Inquiry Group