Propaganda & Disinformation - Level 1 (Beginners)

Today's online environment is toxic for our democracy, from 'dark patterns' to 'deep fakes' - citizens need new knowledge to navigate safely and discern what's fake or real. It helps to know the threats lurking out there - to ensure ourselves, let alone our children, can navigate safely. This course is designed for citizens wanting to understand more about propaganda, its history, and how to recognize and avoid ‘fake news’ and tactics of deliberate manipulation. It will also introduce new techniques used by advertisers and how private data can be used in misleading contemporary campaigns and for targeting propaganda in the democratic process. By the end of the course, you will feel confident with the language used to discuss these issues in the media and political debates, and will understand some of the important history, theories and concepts. You will understand some of the proposed solutions and will be more equipped to navigate a misleading world.

The course will be taught through a series of video and text lectures, with accompanying readings, quizzes and other assignments. The lectures will start by introducing the basics: 'What is Propaganda?', then will illuminate some of the classic theories, thinkers and important histories as you acquire an understanding of key techniques and practices, after this we will explore contemporary propaganda including the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, technology and data in politics, and finally we will consider the many solutions which have been proposed to help strengthen democratic systems in the light of these important contemporary challenges. I hope you enjoy the course and choose to check out my online presence for more information.