Peer Review

Media Manipulation Casebook

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Sep 22, 2021 by ICT Literacy

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

A digital research platform linking together theory, methods, and practice for mapping media manipulation and disinformation campaigns. This resource is intended for researchers, journalists, technologists, policymakers, educators, and civil society organizers who want to learn about detecting, documenting, describing, and debunking misinformation.

Type of Material:

Collection

Recommended Uses:

Instructors can discuss the media manipulation life cycle and ethnography methodology, then apply them to analzye one case study. Students use the cycle and ethnography method to analyze another website case study as an assignment.

Technical Requirements:

Works on Windows browsers

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Detect, document, describe, and debunk misinformation

Target Student Population:

College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Graduate School, Professional, journalism majors, library and information science majors

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Basic ICT skills and familiarity with fundamental terms associated with research

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The casebook provides tools and research to analyze representative case studies demonstrating media manipulation. Each case study is coded as to the aspects of manipulation (code book is also provided). The case studies are research-based, and accurately illustrate current issues; forthermore, each case study is explained. Terms and definitions are succinctly organized and form a helpful database of that can be used to classify the various modalities of content manipulation. This set of resources provides enough material and explanation to integrated the content and summarize ideas. Links work, and content is appropriately attributed.

Concerns:

The Methods and Definition section of the Media Manipulation Casebook serve as the foundational content of the resource. While these resources are thorough, practical and diverse, the Case Studies and embedded examples appear to lack objectivity.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The learning objectives are central to ICT literacy standards. The website provides useful background, which informs users as they analyze case studies; learning is efficient. Users can also delve deeper by reading the underlying research. The case studies are related in that they all illustrate media manipulation techniques. The casebook facilitates assignment creation, and the concepts apply to daily life.
Concerns:: The vast amount of information contained in the Definitions and Methods sections may necessitate a guided curricular approach to maneuver students through the material.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The searchable casebook gives clear directions and is easy to navigate independently; little technical skills is needed. The layout is also very clear with good use of typography, and the useful coding of the case studies and images brighten the page professionally. The casebook invites active engagement, and users can sign up for periodicals.
Concerns:: No help feature was seen, and the graphics do not seem ADA-compliant.

Other Issues and Comments:: The Media Manipulation Life Cycle infographic can be used to guide students through a rigorous analysis of the various stages of information manipulation.
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