Associate Professor and MSLIS Program Director Nicole A. Cooke will discuss her research on fake news, misinformation, and disinformation at the 2018 Public Interest Technology Summit, which will be held on October 13 at Harvard University. The summit is hosted by digital HKS, an independent project at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs that is committed to teaching public leaders to understand how to design, build, and engage with digital technologies as they relate to civic participation, digital equity and inclusion, governance of government platforms, and accountability.
The event will cover the following key themes of broad interest to the public:
- Public Interest Technology
- Misinformation, Democracy, and Civic Participation
- Leading, and Empowering, Change in Government
- Technology, Advocacy, and Workers' Rights
"The issue of fake news is interdisciplinary and affects so many people," said Cooke. "I'm excited to be a part of this important event and include LIS in this global discussion."
Cooke's research interests include human information behavior, particularly in the online context; critical cultural information studies; and diversity and social justice in librarianship with an emphasis on infusing them into LIS education and pedagogy. Her most recent books are Information Services to Diverse Populations: Developing Culturally Competent Library Professionals (Libraries Unlimited/ABC-CLIO, 2016) and Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era (ALA Editions, 2018). Her honors include the American Library Association (ALA) Achievement in Library Diversity Research Award (2017) and ALA Equality Award (2016). She holds a PhD in communication, information, and library studies from Rutgers University.