When: Wednesday 14th February, 2 – 4pm
Where: Bromley (map)
Social media and fake news: why should we be concerned?
Speaker: Mike Flood
Alternative facts, fake news and conspiracy theories confuse and mislead the public; they invite suspicion, fear and anger and they undermine social cohesion, democracy and the rule of law. They also destroy reputations, sometimes even lives. In his talk Mike will explore the phenomenon of fake news and disinformation. He will look in particular at the part played by social media and the collapse of trust in politicians.and the mainstream media. He will also comment on the efforts currently being made to tackle the problem and neutralise the threat.
Mike Flood is the chair of Milton Keynes Humanist Group. He has worked with and for non-governmental organisations for most of his professional life. For the last 25 years he has been involved in educational/community projects in Eastern Europe and East Africa and, before that, he was an environmental activist and freelance consultant on energy and waste management. He also tutored for the Open University for many years. He became concerned by the spread of fake news and misinformation during the EU referendum and in early 2017 launched Critical Information to help raise awareness of the nature of the threat.
