On October 26, Human Centered Design & Engineering Assistant Professor Kate Starbird presented her recent research to the UW community as part of the 2017 Engineering Lecture Series, presented in partnership with the UW Alumni Association.

Recent public debate around “fake news” has highlighted the growing challenge of online misinformation. This complex problem lies at the intersection of technology, human cognition and human behavior — and may make us unwitting accomplices to the spread of incorrect facts and misleading communication. Hear from Dr. Starbird, whose research investigates online rumors to explore what conspiracy theories reveal about political propaganda, in the hour-long video below.

Finding “Fake News” in Times of Crisis: Online Rumors, Conspiracy Theories and Information

Kate Starbird is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering. Her research blends human-computer interaction and the emerging field of crisis informatics—the study of the how information-communication technologies are used during crisis events. Recently, she has explored the propagation of “fake news”, disinformation, and political propaganda through online spaces. Kate earned her PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a BS in computer science from Stanford University.