1 hr 28 min
The Delusion of Power: A Critical Media Literacy Education with Nolan Higdon CARP Radio
-
- Social Sciences
Whether they call it misinformation, disinformation, or fake news, most keen observers of contemporary politics understand that the power to rapidly spread large volumes of false information has had seismic effects on our politics, relationships, families, and communities. Today's guest offers a provocative counterpoint to these claims, arguing that much of the current discourse over disinformation has become a “moral panic" in which accusations of fake news are used as reputational attacks to silence outsiders and reify old hegemonies.
In this interview with CARP's Deirdre Jane Prigge, critical media literacy scholar Dr. Nolan Higdon offers an alternative diagnosis of what's wrong with our media landscape, pinning the blame on an economic system that misleads consumers about how much power they really hold. Higdon explains what critical media literacy is, how it differs from conventional “acritical” approaches, and what thoughtful media consumers should look out for when trying to determine whether the latest eye-catching scoop is just more fake news. Nolan and Deirdre also chat about the importance of empathy, especially when trying to communicate productively with people who have been misinformed.
If you liked this episode, comment, subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and share it with your friends and family. We really appreciate it.
Show Notes
Nolan Higdon, EdD, is an author and university lecturer at Merrill College and the Education Department at University of California, Santa Cruz. Higdon’s areas of concentration include podcasting, digital culture, news media history, and critical media literacy. Higdon is a regular contributor to Savage Minds and a Project Censored National Judge. He is the author of The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education (University of California Press, 2020). His most recent publications include Let’s Agree to Disagree: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management, and Critical Media Literacy (Routledge, 2022) with Mickey Huff, The Podcaster’s Dilemma: Decolonizing Podcasters in the Era of Surveillance Capitalism (Wiley, 2021) with Nicholas Baham III, and "Being on the Outside of the Inside of the Ivory Tower: Nontenured Part-Time Faculty’s Attitudes Toward Their Colleagues and Management," an qualitative investigation of elitism in higher education (University of Toronto Press, 2023). Higdon has been a source of expertise for CBS, NBC, The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle.
To keep up with Higdon’s latest work and upcoming projects, subscribe to his Substack and follow his Twitter @nolan_higdon.
Whether they call it misinformation, disinformation, or fake news, most keen observers of contemporary politics understand that the power to rapidly spread large volumes of false information has had seismic effects on our politics, relationships, families, and communities. Today's guest offers a provocative counterpoint to these claims, arguing that much of the current discourse over disinformation has become a “moral panic" in which accusations of fake news are used as reputational attacks to silence outsiders and reify old hegemonies.
In this interview with CARP's Deirdre Jane Prigge, critical media literacy scholar Dr. Nolan Higdon offers an alternative diagnosis of what's wrong with our media landscape, pinning the blame on an economic system that misleads consumers about how much power they really hold. Higdon explains what critical media literacy is, how it differs from conventional “acritical” approaches, and what thoughtful media consumers should look out for when trying to determine whether the latest eye-catching scoop is just more fake news. Nolan and Deirdre also chat about the importance of empathy, especially when trying to communicate productively with people who have been misinformed.
If you liked this episode, comment, subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and share it with your friends and family. We really appreciate it.
Show Notes
Nolan Higdon, EdD, is an author and university lecturer at Merrill College and the Education Department at University of California, Santa Cruz. Higdon’s areas of concentration include podcasting, digital culture, news media history, and critical media literacy. Higdon is a regular contributor to Savage Minds and a Project Censored National Judge. He is the author of The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education (University of California Press, 2020). His most recent publications include Let’s Agree to Disagree: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management, and Critical Media Literacy (Routledge, 2022) with Mickey Huff, The Podcaster’s Dilemma: Decolonizing Podcasters in the Era of Surveillance Capitalism (Wiley, 2021) with Nicholas Baham III, and "Being on the Outside of the Inside of the Ivory Tower: Nontenured Part-Time Faculty’s Attitudes Toward Their Colleagues and Management," an qualitative investigation of elitism in higher education (University of Toronto Press, 2023). Higdon has been a source of expertise for CBS, NBC, The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle.
To keep up with Higdon’s latest work and upcoming projects, subscribe to his Substack and follow his Twitter @nolan_higdon.
1 hr 28 min