Straight Talk 2017

In the digital era, spreading made-up news and propaganda is easy—and often profitable. Why is it that false stories are shared so frequently and believed by so many of us? What does this say about the future of real journalism, fact-based news and how the public understands the country’s politics and policies?

For three Thursday evenings in August and September, The Riley Institute and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute examined the rise of fake news and propaganda with the annual StraightTalk series. Sessions explored why we are so easily duped, how false stories impact politics and real news, and what we can do to fight back against the constant barrage of misinformation.

StraightTalk is carried out annually in partnership with OLLI@Furman.