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Metaliteracy, Disinformation And Why Education Is Key To Countering Fake News

Trudi Jacobson
University at Albany

A new studyfrom the University of Utah finds up to three-quarters of us overestimate our ability to spot fake news stories — and the worse we are, the more likely we are to share misinformation.

The study has been getting a lot of attention at a time when polls show millions of Americans convinced of conspiracies about everything from vaccine safety to the results of the last election. It’s a conundrum for those of us in the real news, but also for people like Trudi Jacobson of the University at Albany.

The distinguished librarian is head of UAlbany’s information literacy department. She spoke with WAMC’s Ian Pickus about the study and the meaning of metaliteracy.

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in late 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and various newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.