Nolan Higdon
About Nolan Higdon
Speech topics
The Roots and Realities of Fake News: What You Can Do About Disinformation
Fake news isn’t new—but today, it spreads faster and hits harder thanks to smartphones, social media, and AI. In this talk, Nolan Higdon breaks down who creates disinformation, why it works, and how it spreads. He shares how media companies and tech platforms actually profit from fake news—and what we can do to stop being fooled or used. You’ll leave with practical skills to spot disinformation, tools to teach others how to think critically about news, and simple actions anyone can take to fight back.
You’ll Learn:
- The different types of fake news and how they work
- ‘Don’t let ‘Fake News’ steer your sales judgment’
- Why platforms like Facebook and TikTok help fake news go viral
- What you, your school, or your community can do to build media literacy
- Easy, everyday ways to push back against the spread of lies
Why It’s Different:
Most people act like fake news is a new crisis. Nolan shows that it’s actually a long-term problem—and offers real, non-partisan solutions anyone can use. You'll leave with a plan, not just more problems.
Speaking videos
Books by Nolan Higdon
“Surveillance Education: Navigating the Conspicuous Absence of Privacy in Schools (Critical Interventions)” (2024)
Surveillance Education: Navigating the Conspicuous Absence of Privacy in Schools (Critical Interventions)
“Let’s Agree to Disagree: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management, and Critical Media Literacy” (2022)
In an age defined by divisive discourse and disinformation, democracy hangs in the balance. Let’s Agree to Disagree seeks to reverse these trends by fostering constructive dialogue through critical thinking and critical media literacy. This transformative text introduces readers to useful theories, powerful case studies, and easily adoptable strategies for becoming sharper critical thinkers, more effective communicators, and critically media literate citizens.
“The Media and Me: A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People” (2022)
The Media and Me: A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People
“The Podcaster's Dilemma: Decolonizing Podcasters in the Era of Surveillance Capitalism” (2021)
The Podcaster's Dilemma: Decolonizing Podcasters in the Era of Surveillance Capitalism
“The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education” (2020)
Since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, concerns about fake news have fostered calls for government regulation and industry intervention to mitigate the influence of false content. These proposals are hindered by a lack of consensus concerning the definition of fake news or its origins. Media scholar Nolan Higdon contends that expanded access to critical media literacy education, grounded in a comprehensive history of fake news, is a more promising solution to these issues. The Anatomy of Fake News offers the first historical examination of fake news that takes as its goal the effective teaching of critical news literacy in the United States. Higdon employs a critical-historical media ecosystems approach to identify the producers, themes, purposes, and influences of fake news. The findings are then incorporated into an invaluable fake news detection kit. This much-needed resource provides a rich history and a promising set of pedagogical strategies for mitigating the pernicious influence of fake news.
At a glanceNolan Higdon
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