POLb1129 True or False? Information and arguments in 21st century

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2021
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Baroš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Otto Eibl, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Miloš Gregor, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Otto Eibl, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Politology – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Fri 12. 3. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 19. 3. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 9. 4. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 16. 4. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 30. 4. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 7. 5. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 14. 5. 10:00–15:40 U41, Fri 28. 5. 10:00–15:40 U41
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! POL373 True or False? && !NOW( POL373 True or False? )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the basic rules of a critical approach to processing of information of any kind.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be: - able to evaluate the authenticity of news; - able to process and verify data of any kind; - equipped with a basic set of knowledge needed for argumentation skills.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to the course 2. How to process information: A conceptual framework 3. Historical aspects of fake news and misinformation 4. Psychological principles of information processing 5. Manipulative tools and techniques 7. Critical evaluation and verification of information
Literature
    required literature
  • D'ANCONA, Matthew. Post truth : the new war on truth and how to fight back. First published. London: Ebury press, 2017, 167 stran. ISBN 9781785036873. info
  • BALL, James. Post-truth : how bullshit conquered the world. First published. London: Biteback publishing, 2017, 306 stran. ISBN 9781785902147. info
  • NICHOLS, Thomas M. The death of expertise : the campaign against established knowledge and why it matters. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017, xv, 252. ISBN 9780190469412. info
  • SLOMAN, Steven A. and Philip FERNBACH. The knowledge illusion : why we never think alone. New York: Riverhead Books, 2017, 296 stran. ISBN 9780399184369. info
    recommended literature
  • JOSELIT, David. Fake News, Art, and Cognitive Justice. October, Issue 159, Winter 2017, p.14-18.
  • Ulises A Mejias, Nikolai E Vokuev (2017). Disinformation and the media: the case of Russia and Ukraine. Media, Culture & Society 39(7): 1027-1042
  • Merloe, P. (2015). Election Monitoring Vs. Disinformation. Journal of Democracy 26(3), 79-93. The Johns Hopkins University Press
  • Ignacio Lago, Marc Guinjoan, Sandra Bermúdez; Regulating Disinformation: Poll Embargo and Electoral Coordination, Public Opinion Quarterly, Volume 79, Issue 4, 1 January 2015, Pages 932–951, https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfv036
  • Gregor, Miloš; Vejvodová Petra; Zvol si info (2017). Nejlepší kniha o fake news dezinformacích a manipulacích. Brno: CPress.
Teaching methods
seminars, class discussions, lessons
Assessment methods
Students are required to attend to seminars, group presentation
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2021, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2021/POLb1129