MPR News Launches New Initiative to Identify, Combat Disinformation

Jan 7, 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 7, 2020 – With the 2020 presidential election fast approaching, MPR News is inviting news consumers to inform themselves about disinformation and how to spot it.

In a new initiative, Can You Believe It?, MPR News will look at the channels in which disinformation reaches consumers, particularly through social media, and offer methods to combat its spread.

Can You Believe It? launches Wednesday, Jan. 8, during Morning Edition. Segments will run through 2020, leading up to the Nov. 3 presidential election.

“It’s especially important during an election season to be vigilant for exaggeration and falsehoods, not just in your traditional media sources, but also in the information you see scrolling through your social media newsfeed,” said Laura McCallum, MPR News’ interim director.

“True or not, the more something is shared, the more opportunity it has to be consumed. And that ultimately can affect how and if people vote.”

MPR News’ Mike Mulcahy, Brian Bakst, Catharine Richert, Michael Olson, Cody Nelson, Jiwon Choi and Sara Porter will lead Can You Believe It? with on-air segments and digital content dedicated to identifying disinformation, who is behind it and how people can stand up to it.

Listeners are welcome to take part in MPR News’ survey to share what disinformation they’ve seen online and in their communities. Listeners can also share their experiences and questions with ask@mpr.org.

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About MPR News
MPR News has long been recognized as one of the foremost journalistic organizations in the Upper Midwest, reaching news consumers across all platforms. Reaching more than 500,000 listeners each week, the MPR News radio signal can be heard by 95 percent of Minnesotans. MPR News has received numerous awards for its reporting, including George Foster Peabody Awards, the Alfred I. DuPont Award and the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award. Visit mprnews.org for the latest regional, national and international headlines.

Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.