Misinformation, Media Literacy, and Critical Thinking in the Digital Age

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41 chapters ~80 hours total 314 pages

1

Front Matter

6 chapters

• Misinformation, Media Literacy, and Critical Thinking in the Digital Age
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• How to Use This Book
• Prerequisites
• Misinformation, Media Literacy, and Critical Thinking in the Digital Age

2

Part I: Foundations of Information and Epistemology

6 chapters

• Part I: Foundations of Information and Epistemology
• Chapter 1: What Is Truth? Epistemological Foundations
• Chapter 2: The History of Misinformation — From Rumor to the Internet Age
• Chapter 3: How the Human Mind Processes Information
• Chapter 4: Cognitive Biases and Heuristics That Make Us Vulnerable
• Chapter 5: The Social Psychology of Belief and Group Conformity

3

Part II: The Modern Information Ecosystem

6 chapters

• Part II: The Modern Information Ecosystem
• Chapter 6: The Evolution of Traditional Media
• Chapter 7: The Rise of Digital and Social Media
• Chapter 8: Platform Algorithms and the Attention Economy
• Chapter 9: Filter Bubbles, Echo Chambers, and Algorithmic Curation
• Chapter 10: The Business Model of Outrage — Engagement Over Truth

4

Part III: Types and Mechanisms of Misinformation

9 chapters

• Part III: Types and Mechanisms of Misinformation
• Chapter 11: Taxonomy — Disinformation, Misinformation, and Malinformation
• Chapter 12: Propaganda — Historical Techniques and Modern Applications
• Chapter 13: Conspiracy Theories — Origins, Appeal, and Spread
• Chapter 14: Health Misinformation — From Snake Oil to Anti-Vax
• Chapter 15: Political Misinformation and Election Integrity
• Chapter 16: Scientific Misinformation — Climate, Vaccines, and GMOs
• Chapter 17: Financial Misinformation and Market Manipulation
• Chapter 18: Deepfakes, Synthetic Media, and Emerging Threats

5

Part IV: Detection and Analysis

7 chapters

• Part IV: Detection and Analysis
• Chapter 19: Fact-Checking: Methods, Organizations, and Limitations
• Chapter 20: Source Evaluation and the SIFT Method
• Chapter 21: Data Journalism and Statistical Literacy
• Chapter 22: Natural Language Processing for Misinformation Detection
• Chapter 23: Network Analysis of Information Spread
• Chapter 24: Computational Propaganda and Bot Detection

6

Part V: Critical Thinking and Media Literacy Skills

6 chapters

• Part V: Critical Thinking and Media Literacy Skills
• Chapter 25: Logic, Argumentation, and Fallacy Recognition
• Chapter 26: Scientific Thinking and Evidence Evaluation
• Chapter 27: Lateral Reading and Advanced Web Literacy
• Chapter 28: Probabilistic Thinking and Uncertainty
• Chapter 29: Media Literacy Frameworks: NAMLE, MIL, and Beyond

7

Part VI: Political Dimensions

5 chapters

• Part VI: Political Dimensions
• Chapter 30: Democracy, Polarization, and the Misinformation Crisis
• Chapter 31: State-Sponsored Disinformation and Information Warfare
• Chapter 32: Election Interference: Case Studies and Countermeasures
• Chapter 33: Policy Responses to Misinformation: Global Perspectives

8

Part VII: Countermeasures and Solutions

6 chapters

• Part VII: Countermeasures and Solutions
• Chapter 34: Platform Content Moderation — Policies, Challenges, Trade-offs
• Chapter 35: Prebunking and Inoculation Theory
• Chapter 36: Education-Based Interventions and Media Literacy Programs
• Chapter 37: Regulatory Approaches: Free Speech vs. Safety
• Chapter 38: Building Personal Resilience Against Misinformation

9

Part VIII: Advanced Topics

4 chapters

• Part VIII: Advanced Topics
• Chapter 39: AI, Generative Models, and the Future of Synthetic Media
• Chapter 40: Global and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Misinformation
• Chapter 41: Ethics of Truth, Deception, and the Epistemic Commons

10

Part IX: Capstone Projects

4 chapters

• Part IX: Capstone Projects
• Capstone Project 1: Building a Misinformation Detection Pipeline
• Capstone Project 2: Network Analysis of a Real Information Operation
• Capstone Project 3: Designing and Evaluating a Media Literacy Intervention

11

Appendices

8 chapters

• Appendix A: Mathematical Foundations
• Appendix B: Statistical Tables
• Appendix C: Python Library Reference Guide
• Appendix D: Data Sources and Datasets
• Appendix E: Glossary
• Appendix F: Notation and Symbols Guide
• Appendix G: Answers to Selected Exercises
• Appendix H: Comprehensive Bibliography

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