People today get into debates over what they consider to be the right approach to prime national and local issues.
Sometimes those discussions are in person, other times that can be aired online. Sometimes people may be deeply versed on the subject at hand, other times they may not have the deepest grasp of the issue.
And at times people can be unwitting that a source they heard wasn’t factual, or they may share disinformation knowingly.
A special club has been created by students at a Siouxland college to break down misinformation in mass media, via the Disinformation & Media Analysis Club at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City.
According to club information, “We want to bridge the gap between the two primary political parties, by creating a space where people can prioritize fact and research over bias and information can meet and discuss issues. We want people to walk in and be ready to have their beliefs deconstructed.”
So this week I went to the latest weekly meeting of the Disinformation & Media Analysis Club to see how club members are faring this semester, with about four people usually participating.
Some of the few people at the club meeting included Disinformation & Media Analysis Club President Asha Loutsch, students Aurora Cross and Leslie Ruiz, plus Club Sponsors Steve Warnstadt and Kendra Hall.
Loutsch and Cross said controversial topics should not be avoided, such as the assassination of right-wing media icon Charlie Kirk should not off limits as a topic in the club.
"No matter what side of the aisle you are on, you have a place in this club," Cross said.
Loutsch said people should seek out many media sources to ensure they are getting a full picture, and critically thinking about what those sources are.
The club members said politics seem to be a topic that is rife with disinformation. They shared some tips so people are critically thinking about information they share, since social media can have lots of "misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation," Cross said.
Warnstadt said seeing students engaged in creating this club over the last year is heartening, and he said this WITCC club appears to be the only one in a college in the U.S.
Additionally, student groups at WITCC, including the Beta Zeta Mu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and the Disinformation and Media Analysis Club, will host a convocation at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 13, to focus on identifying accurate information, as well as misinformation and disinformation. The event features speakers addressing the issue at international, national, and local levels.
*Click on the audio link above to hear the entire show.
What's The Frequency, Episode 84.
