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COURSES

Media in the Era of Disinformation

This course is dedicated to developing students' digital and media agency so as to be able to make use of the various affordances of the digital mediatized life as well as to mitigate potential risks technology saturated societies uphold. The course has a special emphasis on the work and skills of contemporary journalism but is relevant for most professions who have to constantly update their digital/media and information literacy competences - accessing information, analysing it, creating one's own message, reflecting one's consumption and being socially responsible. The course ends with an intervention project – a pracademic approach aimed at making a positive change in the societies.

About the course

Content

The course is led by scholars and lectures from the fields of journalism, media studies, and communication but will also engage empirical examples, scholars, and practitioners from different fields (e.g. law, linguistics, semiotics, security) in order to provide a nuanced overview of the field, current problems, and possible solutions.

The course can be categorized into 4 grand topics:

  1. general media framework
  2. info disorders
  3. the flawed human brain
  4. journalistic work practices

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, the student...

  • Is familiar with more common theories and everyday concepts of information society and knows how to recognize and analyse (the dominant signs of) information disorder.
  • Has an overview the work processes, roles and professional demands of journalists in contemporary media systems.
  • Understands the potential effects of information disorder - on micro, meso and macro levels.
  • Is familiar with the vocabulary on related topics, is able to discuss and critically analyse some of the contemporary issues of the information society and mediatization processes.
  • Has the skills to independently seek additional information related to the information society concepts.
  • Uses at least three different methods from "data journalism", understands their uses in different contexts.
  • Can use various e-learning opportunities and is reflexive about the experience, has used e-learning platforms for cooperation and group-work.
  • Is able to analyse and (to a certain extent) create media content that have journalistic value.
  • Can find, develop and use study materials for various stakeholders and target groups within the framework of media/information/digital literacies.

Programme

Topics to be covered:

  1. Hello and welcome, course overview. Warm-up. Resilience.
  2. Why media plays an integral role in information disorders. Contemporary information society and (deep) mediatization: ubiquitous, invasive and invisible media and ICT.
  3. Media logic and social media logic. Platformisation.
  4. Disinformation, misinformation, malinformation: terminological confusion. Latest developments in academic and general public's terminology.
  5. Seminar on mis/dis/malinfo.
  6. Active media users - fans and anti-fans as participants in the info disorder.
  7. Media and cognitive biases. Representations. Stereotypes. 
  8. Seminar on cognitive biases.
  9. Propaganda techniques in old and new media.
  10. Conspiracy theories and dark entertainment, #ConspiTok
  11. No class, independent work AKA choose your own adventure from pre-recorded materials:
  12. Contemporary work practices of journalists. Journalism in the age of disinformation. Skill gaps and perceived deficiencies.
  13. Data analytics in journalism, data journalists.
  14. Contemporary investigative journalistic practices and the importance of skills needed to understand and work on various databases.
  15. Mapping the techniques of social media influence operations, dark/alternative influence networks: sealioning, coordinated inauthentic behaviour, malign creativity, trolling, etc.
  16. Course wrap-up. Final survey. Feedback, reflections, final thoughts

Teaching format

Online lectures/seminars (30 %) combined with self-learning (70%).

Homework

1. Nearly every topic has some independent prep-work that gives 3 points each week. All tasks will be available in Moodle. The specific tasks help students to prepare for the specific topic, give the base level knowledge that seminars and lectures will build upon. Max 2-3 hours per week. Total of 24 hours of work. Total of 30 points.

2. Nearly every topic has a closure-task (3p each) that anchors and strengthens the knowledge/skills acquired. All tasks will be available in Moodle. Max 2-3 hours per week. Total of 24 hours of work. Total of 30 points.

Practical assignment in the format of online lectures

3. Each week's lecture/seminar/workshop. Show up, participate and enjoy :) I will not check participation, this is entirely up to you, as university-level studies rely upon students' inner motivation. Course feedback is mostly very positive, with the exception of involvement in class. Perceived low involvement is probably the result of lax rules of participation. So be aware - if you yourself don't make an effort, you will probably leave with a feeling of "I could have done more to take the max out of this course!". Total of 30 hours of work.

Reflective learning diary

4. The students are asked to keep an informal study diary (or a study portfolio) throughout the course. The tool helps develop reflexivity and deeper learning over a longer period of time. Entries should be minimum of 200 words per entry, visuals can be used as well. Max points 15. Total of 8 hours of work.

Homework

5. Independent work on week 11 (5p) - choose one topic and do the related task. A total of 7 hours of work.

Project

6. As a final project - in groups of 4-6: design (and carry out for extra points and eternal glory) a mini-intervention that would increase people's media/information/digital literacies in a novel way that is fitting to attention economy and information disorders. Create order from chaos :) Max 50p. Total of 40 hours of work. Group consultations with Maria Murumaa-Mengel will be available upon request.

Assessment method(s)

Grade system: non-differentiated (pass, fail, not present). See more info HERE

Lecturers

Maria Murumaa-Mengel and numerous guests

Course dates

This course takes place in the first semester of the academic year 2026-2027. It starts in the first week of September and runs until mid-January. Info on the course schedule is HERE

Type: virtual course

Level: Bachelor, Master

Host: University of Tartu

Focus area: Digitalisation

Study field: Humanities, Social Sciences

Course dates: Sep 1, 2026 - Jan 15, 2027

Apply by: August 17, 2026

ECTS: 6

Registration status: Open

Number of places available: unlimited

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