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

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
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
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! POL373 True or False? && !NOW( POL373 True or False? )
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those 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, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the basic rules of a critical approach to the processing of information, news and arguments. The course touches on topics such as media literacy, propaganda, disinformation and conspiracy theory. Throughout the course, students are introduced to a variety of case studies and concrete examples of manipulative media content and are guided to be able to recognize manipulation in the public space.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be able to independently evaluate the authenticity of intelligence information, learn the basic procedures and principles in data verification procedures, and at the same time be equipped with a basic set of knowledge necessary for argumentation skills.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to the course and the requirements for successful completion 2. Conceptual understanding of information work and media literacy 3. Historical aspects of disinformation and fake news 4. Psychological principles of information processing 5. Various tools of manipulation 6. Critical verification and evaluation of information
Literature
    required literature
  • GREGOR, Miloš, Petra MLEJNKOVÁ, Miroslava PAVLÍKOVÁ, Barbora ŠENKÝŘOVÁ, Jakub DRMOLA, Miroslav MAREŠ, František KASL, Aleš HORÁK, Vít BAISA, Radim POLČÁK, Jan HANZELKA, Jonáš SYROVÁTKA and Ondřej HERMAN. Challenging Online Propaganda and Disinformation in the 21st Century. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021, 273 pp. Political Campaigning and Communication. ISBN 978-3-030-58623-2. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58624-9. web nakladatelství info
  • 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
  • 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
  • POTTER, W. James. Media literacy. Ninth edition. Los Angeles: Sage, 2019, xxv, 517. ISBN 9781506366289. 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
  • GAINES, Elliot. Media literacy and semiotics. 1st ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010, xii, 181. ISBN 9780230108288. info
Teaching methods
seminars, class discussions, lessons
Assessment methods
Students are required to attend to seminars, group presentation
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: in blocks.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/POLb1129