Lecture: Misinformation & Society: Five Lessons I’ve Learned from Studying Thousands of Years of Falsehoods

Misinformation is nothing new. For as long as humans have communicated, they have also manipulated information and deceived others to gain power. Nevertheless, scholars, journalists, and pundits have expressed a concern about humanity entering a new “Post-Truth” era, one driven by the collapse of truth and political turmoil. In this talk, Dr. Yotam Ophir, Associate Professor of Communication at University at Buffalo, argues that humans have never been motivated by accuracy and that the current moment could be better explained by considering unprecedented technological and political developments. Potential solutions are discussed.