LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication Professor Relaunches Fake News and Disinformation Resource Website

 

Feb. 27, 2020

BATON ROUGE – LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication professor Leonard Apcar is relaunching a website designed to aggregate news, analysis and research about fake news and disinformation for students, academics and citizens to defend themselves against misinformation.

The website, www.detectfakenews.com, is a curated resource guide on the latest developments in fake news, disinformation and foreign interference in the nation’s information flows. Apcar, a professional-in-residence at the Manship School who holds LSU’s Wendell Gray Switzer Jr. Endowed Chair in Media Literacy, unveiled the site on Monday, Feb. 24, at the Press Club of Baton Rouge. As a former New York Times editor, he leads the Manship School’s educational effort to provide resources to detect and combat fake news.    

“There are fact-checking websites, and websites for teachers and researchers,” said Apcar, “but we want our website to be a one-stop destination for everyone interested in the topics.”

The website was created three years ago to give users advice on how to spot fake news articles. Since then LSU students have expanded the website to become a one-stop aggregator for the latest news, research and analysis pertaining to disinformation, fake news and deep fake videos. The website aims to be a singular resource looking at manipulated media and fakes in the upcoming 2020 election cycle.

“The Manship School is committed to leading the study and practice of media and public affairs within an evolving technological and global society,” said Manship School Dean Martin Johnson. “Educational resources like this website teach our students the importance of ethical journalism and how they can help protect our democracy.”

For more information, contact masscomm@lsu.edu and lenapcar@lsu.edu. Check out more updates by following @detectfakenews on Twitter.

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LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: master of mass communication, Ph.D. in media and public affairs, certificate of strategic communication and dual M.M.C./law degree. Its public relations students were recently ranked the #1 team in the nation, and its digital advertising and student media teams frequently earn national recognition.