Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts in American public life, isn't a problem that any one person can fix. But there are simple steps that individuals can take to help counter it.
As part of RAND's efforts to counter Truth Decay, researchers developed a series of five lesson plans to help teachers introduce middle school students to a key element of civic education: understanding and engaging with public policy topics.
The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution, is partnering with the Poynter Institute, a global nonprofit dedicated to journalistic excellence, to develop education and training for journalists on today's most pressing policy issues and the process of research and analysis.
RAND is partnering with the Poynter Institute to create innovative educational opportunities for journalists. Programming will focus on breaking down the policy research process and how policy issues affect the general public.
RAND supporters have contributed more than $4 million to endow a new chair to advance research aimed at countering Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life—while paying tribute to RAND President and CEO Michael D. Rich, who is stepping down this year after more than a decade at the institution's helm.
This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”
For Jessica Cecil, founder and former head of the Trusted News Initiative, today feels a bit like the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, in which agreed-upon facts endure in only a few isolated places of elite discussion and there is no common language of politics. She spoke about the need for governments, companies, news organizations, and relevant civil society groups to work together to combat disinformation at a meeting of RAND Europe's Council of Advisors.
This weekly recap focuses on the internet's role in stoking extremism and hate, how Russia has failed its military personnel, a research roadmap to help prevent police killings in the United States, and more.
Though present in Europe, the evidence suggests that trends of Truth Decay are not as widespread or as pronounced as they are in the United States. There is still time for policymakers to intervene and limit their growth.
The role of facts and data in public life in Europe is changing and a new study has found evidence of the signs of Truth Decay. However, there is still time to act and help prevent or slow its growth. Senior researchers Axelle Devaux and Stijn Hoorens discuss the research in the Expert Insights podcast.
Amid the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life—a phenomenon called Truth Decay—the RAND Corporation is launching a public information campaign on social media to build understanding of Truth Decay and how individuals can tackle it by scrutinizing information they believe and share.
Truth Decay is the declining role of facts and analysis in American life. RAND has launched an information campaign on social media to help the public understand how this phenomenon works, its consequences, and how to stop it.
This weekly recap focuses on how to help Ukrainian refugees, the link between cognitive processes and Truth Decay, tracking wastewater to understand the spread of COVID-19, and more.
Truth Decay is the diminishing role of facts in American public life. What role do human reasoning processes and cognitive biases play in this phenomenon? And how can these factors affect an individual's resistance or susceptibility to Truth Decay?
Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts in public life, is less prevalent across Europe than it is in the United States. What actions can be taken now to stop Truth Decay from spreading further—and potentially prevent its serious consequences?
The majority of U.S. public schools address media literacy competencies in some manner. But according to K–12 teachers, instruction is unevenly implemented, at best, and obstacles are common. Media literacy education also varies across schools of different ethnic compositions and poverty levels.
Given the potential blowback to teaching anything related to race or gender, avoiding lessons on the experiences of women or people of color will be the path of least resistance in many schools. But discussing racism and sexism in a safe environment is crucial for students to become active, knowledgeable citizens.
Media literacy education can help counter “Truth Decay” by teaching young people how to consume media and contribute responsibly to the information ecosystem. To this end, RAND researchers developed recommendations for implementing media literacy standards in the classroom.
Social media users generate massive volumes of content, which then spreads at extraordinary speeds. Yet platforms generally rely on a slow process of human moderation to remove prohibited content. What if moderation could happen before the content is even posted?
The United States is experiencing an era of "Truth Decay"—the line between fact and fiction is becoming blurred. What's causing this phenomenon? And what can be done to counter it?
