Peter Adams from the News Literacy Project talked to an auditorium full of Penn State and high school students on Wednesday about “Prebunking Election Misinformation” for U.S. News Literacy Week. He says learning about misinformation tactics in advance can help you become more savvy.
“The vast majority of people are sincerely trying to understand the world around them and that can make them vulnerable to that kind of manipulation," Adams said. "I think it’s something that everybody needs to learn and focus on.”
His presentation focused on misleading social media posts, including by current presidential candidates. Adams says tactics use people’s beliefs against them.
“Misinformation tends to be exploitative, so a falsehood that seems to uphold your beliefs, your values, your feelings about a candidate. If someone debunks that it can feel like a personal attack,” Adams said.
Adams says it’s important for people to be able to vote based on accurate information.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.