Course Title & Description: Critical Studies of Disinformation - This course examines the sociotechnical dynamics of disinformation in contemporary society. As media scholars, we will explore the role print, broadcast, and digital media play in the creation and spread of disinformation and the corresponding implications for democratic society. We will consider key distinctions between related concepts including disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation. We will also highlight the challenges in identifying and labeling “false” information and explore how the identification of “truth” relates to broader struggles around the social construction of knowledge. Our review of these concepts will be informed by history, culture, and politics, and we will pay particular attention to the ways social categories – including race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity – shape the dynamics of disinformation. In our investigations, we will look beyond the contemporary United States to consider the spread of false information in historical and global contexts. Finally, we will explore specific examples of disinformation and consider strategies for combating this complex and evolving social issue.