Danielle Preiss explores misinformation with three guests who talk about its history and what we can do about it in the hyper connected times we live in.
False information on online platforms like Facebook and Twitter – whether planted intentionally, or passed along unintentionally – has been associated with affecting elections, public health debates, and in some cases has been directly linked to genocidal wars in countries like Myanmar and Ethiopia. None of this is exactly new. As correspondent Danielle Preiss and her guests help us learn, humans have been using what’s been called more recently “fake news” to win conflicts since we’ve been able to communicate – over whatever platform has been available at the time. By understanding how we are primed as a species to use and experience false information, we can check our impulses and use the tools available to us to stop its influence.