Learn how to use psychological research to pre-bunk disinformation in election coverage, Sept. 29

Journalism and democracy have been upended by the growth of mis- and dis-information. Countering it effectively requires understanding why people are susceptible, targeted, and how they can become more resilient. Psychological research can teach journalists how to pre-bunk disinformation and convey credibility in ways that readers, viewers, and listeners can process -- which is more essential than ever as November’s elections near.

To learn how to use to use these strategies in covering elections, join the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the American Psychological Association and PEN America for a free program at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29. 

The program, which will be held on Zoom, will be followed by a Q&A session. Registration is required.  

Panelists include: 

• Dolores Albarracín, Alexandra Heyman Nash University professor; director, Social Action Lab; Director, Science of Science Communication Division, Annenberg Public Policy Center
• Tiffany Hsu, reporter on the technology team covering misinformation and disinformation, New York Times
• Jay Van Bavel, director, Social Identity & Morality Lab and Associate professor of psychology and neural science, New York University
• Anya van Wagtendonk, misinformation reporter, Grid
• Moderator: Summer Lopez, chief program officer, free expression, PEN America

Participants will learn:

• How misinformation and disinformation is impacting journalists and newsrooms, including findings from a recent PEN America survey 
• The latest scientific research from the nation’s leading psychologists about how to infuse proven methods of prebunking and inoculation in your reporting
• What tactics make a piece of misinformation or disinformation go viral and how to inoculate the public against it, especially targeted and historically disenfranchised communities
• Tips for overcoming cognitive traps, tripwires, and our own hidden biases as journalists

People are hungry for credible and trustworthy information, and a self-governing democracy requires an informed electorate. This program will help journalists understand how people process information, judge its credibility and decide whether to act on it, and how journalists can use that understanding to regain trust and counter disinformation. 

If you have questions about this program, please email National Press Club Journalism Institute Executive Director Julie Moos at [email protected].

The American Psychological Association is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 133,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members.

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. It champions the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Its mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.