Part 1: Misinformation regarding climate change & debunking fake news

Core ideas – Content:

• Common misinformation regarding climate change
• How & why misinformation is established in public’s views
• The role of media

Objectives:

• Getting familiar with the most common misinformation regarding climate change
• Understanding why misinformation is established in public’s views

Brief description: Through Activity 1 participants get familiar with the most common misinformation regarding climate change. In particular, they are asked to analyze seven comics and images that are very popular on social media and internet resources in order to recognize the ideas and fake news that are usually spread through these means.

Duration: 30 minutes

Brief description: This activity provides the participants with the opportunity to get familiar with the features of misinformation in order subsequently to be able to recognize fake news and fallacies. Thus, the participants are initially asked to read online newspaper titles and social media posts that promote climate change misinformation and to analyze the characteristics of such titles and the reasons why they are “sticky”. Finally, they are asked to reflect on how these perspectives and fake news are established in public’s beliefs.

Duration: 60 minutes

Recommendation: The participants is useful to read the Practical resource 20 from STAGE toolkit titled: “The Debunking Handbook 2020”.

Brief description: Activity 3 aims to familiarize the participants with a common debunking strategy. In particular, they are asked to develop reasonable refutations on a common climate change misinformation based on this debunking strategy.

Duration: 30 minutes

Recommendation: The participants is useful to read the Practical resource 20 from STAGE toolkit titled: “The Debunking Handbook 2020”.