Menu

COVID-19 misinformation causes, factors topic of segment

NLP in the News

NLP’s Peter Adams discusses COVID-19 misinformation causes and contributing factors in an Aug. 31 segment for Northern Public Radio, What Contributes to COVID-19 Misinformation?

Some causes include a lack of understanding about the science involved in addressing a pandemic, the public’s inability to recognize the difference between fact-based journalism and opinion, the proliferation of news sites and postings that lack credibility, and consumers’ failure to identify credible information.

On the latter point, Adams says: “Trustworthy information doesn’t actually ask you to trust it. It shows you why you should.”

The segment was rebroadcast Sept. 1 on Peoria Public Radio (WCBU)  and on All Things Considered on NPR affiliate WSIU.

More Updates

News literacy insights on misinformation about immigration protests

Viral rumors and falsehoods have spread in the wake of political protests, particularly recent ones opposing detentions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. In a story for Mashable, Peter Adams, Senior Vice president of Research and Design at the News Literacy Project, offered tips for news consumers to avoid getting tricked by false…

NLP in the News

For Education Week, educators share how they teach students to question health influencers

An opinion piece in EducationWeek by two educators from New York featured the News Literacy Project’s District Fellowship program. The commentary described how the program supported their efforts to teach students to critically evaluate health and wellness claims on social media. “By the end, our teens had developed habits of healthy skepticism when scrolling their…

NLP in the News