Friday, April 11, 2025, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Knight Hall, University of Maryland, College Park
What is the future of American democracy when seeing isn't believing?
In an era of disinformation, it becomes increasingly difficult for citizens to tell fact from fiction. Why do lies seem to travel faster than the truth? When does debunking falsehoods work, and when does it backfire? How do we set the record straight when two-thirds of surveyed news consumers don't trust the news media much, or at all?
Join University of Maryland scholars, students and working journalists for a one-day conference to explore research into the ever-critical work of information resilience.
Schedule
| Time | Session | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9-9:30 a.m. | Breakfast and Registration | Knight Hall atrium (first floor) |
| 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Keynote: Where are we, and how did we get here? | Eaton Theater (first floor) |
| 10:45-noon | Session II: Emerging Challenges breakout discussions | Various |
| Noon-1 p.m. | Lunch and Poster Session Mixer | Room 3202 (third floor) |
| 1-2:30 p.m. | Session III: Emerging Solutions breakout discussions | Various |
| 2:30-2:45 p.m. | Break | |
| 2:45-4 p.m. | Session IV: Closing Plenary Session | Eaton Theater (first floor) |
More Information
Where are we, and how did we get here?
Moderator: Rafael Lorente, Dean, UMD Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Panelists:
Sarah Oates, Associate Dean for Research, Merrill College; Co-Principal Investigator, Maryland Democracy Initiative
Jerry Zremski, Klingenstein Family Endowed Chair in Journalism, Merrill College; Director, Local News Network
Participants attend the session of their choice; a rapporteur’s notes will be shared with all participants.
Foreign Propaganda Meets Domestic Propaganda
Sarah Oates, Associate Dean for Research, Merrill College
Cody Buntain, Assistant Professor, UMD College of Information
How is foreign propaganda, particularly Russian, echoed and amplified by American politicians and news outlets? The workshop will discuss how both entities have effectively used media and communication strategies to shape public perception, influence political discourse, and consolidate power. The panel will consider how to empower audiences and journalists to distinguish between propaganda and news. Can propaganda be countered by objective reporting, or are different tactics called for?
AI: Media Savior or Media Menace?
Daniel Trielli, Assistant Professor of Media and Democracy, Merrill College
Derek Willis, Lecturer in Data and Computational Journalism, Merrill College
Artificial intelligence has the power to change the field of journalism, but how can it change it for the better? On the one hand, AI offers ways to automate news collection, analyze large data sets, and enhance investigative reporting — all of which increase the potential power of journalists. On the other hand, AI raises the spectre of sidelining professional journalists by automating writing and reporting tasks in ways that will degrade both quality and the job opportunities for journalists. How can we integrate AI into journalism in ways that protect and uplift the profession?
Contagion of Doubt: Health Disinformation and the Erosion of Scientific Trust
Doug Lombardi, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, UMD College of Education
Lucas Butler, Associate Professor, UMD College of Education
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the dangers of health disinformation — but the spread of falsehoods about vaccines, climate science and public health continues to thrive in an ecosystem of eroding trust and motivated reasoning. This session will explore how scientific disinformation takes root and why people often reject expert consensus in favor of alternative narratives. Drawing on research about science denial and cognition, the session will prompt discussion about how health misinformation spreads, how individuals make sense of competing claims, and how journalists and educators might counteract doubt with clarity. What approaches show promise for building resilience to health disinformation — and what still needs to be better understood?
Information resilience research spotlight featuring scholars and graduate students:
Jenna Alton, doctoral candidate, Developmental Science
Saumya Bhadani, doctoral candidate, UMD College of Information
Jodi McFarland Friedman, doctoral candidate, Journalism Studies
Bobbie Foster, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas
Wei-Ping Li, Postdoctoral Associate, Merrill College
Michael Sessa, doctoral student, Journalism Studies
Gea Ujčić, doctoral candidate, Journalism Studies
Catherine Yuxiao Zhang, doctoral student, Communication
Participants attend the session of their choice; a rapporteur’s notes will be shared with all participants.
Media Literacy for the New Generation: TikTok and Beyond
Sarah McGrew, Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, UMD College of Education
The younger generation navigate information in a digital world in surprising ways that challenge many convictions about youth and news. This session will present and consider how to act upon cutting-edge research into youth and media literacy. How do young people construct civic reasoning from their online activity — including how they search for and evaluate online information on contentious social and political topics? What can news outlets learn from school-based efforts to support students to learn effective evaluative strategies and how might those outlets support and encourage media literacy?
“They Don’t Want to Hear What We Are Saying”
Jen Golbeck, Professor, UMD College of Information
Sarah Oates, Associate Dean for Research, Merrill College
It has been clear for the past decade that Trump supporters often seek and consume news in distinctive patterns. They are often dismissive of the mainstream media or even threatening toward journalists. Yet, researchers have often made assumptions about Trump supporters that make broad generalizations or assume that they are inadvertently misinformed. Research by Dr. Jen Golbeck that combines interviews at Trump rallies in 2024 as well as ongoing social media analysis of Truth Social, provides a nuanced analysis of a tightly connected set of interwoven beliefs that define and create strong support for Trump and the Republicans. With this knowledge, how can news outlets engage more effectively with Trump supporters?
Local News: Challenge or Crisis
Jerry Zremski, Director, Local News Network, Merrill College
Christoph Mergerson, Assistant Professor, Merrill College
Local news suffers from a strange duality — generally liked more than other types of news, yet seriously endangered in Maryland and across the nation. Merrill College’s Local News Network researches the issue and provides coverage to fill local news gaps. What can we learn from this model about ways to preserve the future of local news? What financial models could we try to keep bringing the public the news that they value?
So what, now what? Panelists review the problems and solutions from the workshops. What are some actionable ideas to take forward?
Moderator: Jodi McFarland Friedman, doctoral candidate, Journalism Studies
Panelists:
Jerry Zremski, Director, Local News Network, Merrill College
Jen Golbeck, Professor, UMD College of Information
Michael Collins, White House correspondent, USA TODAY
Sponsored by:
