The Truth Matters: A Guide to Misinformation

The final episode in the series focuses on solutions in solving issues surrounding misinformation in the digital age. We hear from social media companies, experts working with civil society groups and organisations utilising technology to combat the harm caused by misinformation.

This episode examines the challenges in preventing the spread of misinformation and disinformation online. We hear from journalists, fact checkers and civil rights advocates on their work and how misinformation can lead to real world harm.

An increasing problem in our digital era is losing friends or family to conspiracy rabbit holes. How should you deal with this? This episode explores how to use empathy as a tool in talking to a friend who is going down the conspiracy rabbit hole.

Exploring the basics of misinformation: the differences between dis and misinformation, motivations in spreading false information online and the psychology behind why we unwittingly share it. Also in this episode, we explore what to do before sharing news that might be false as well as hearing from experts working to improve media literacy.

Della Kilroy and Shane Creevy explore how misinformation spreads in an era of mass communication, and how to protect yourself against it. The series examines the differences between misinformation and disinformation and investigates how and why conspiracy theories spread so rapidly online. Find out more at rte.ie/truthmatters.