The MisinfoCon@NASEM conference took place at the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on February 21-22, 2020. The event assembled a diverse roster of speakers, including experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Georgetown University, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, National Cancer Institute, and more. The presentations covered a wide range of topics, from the role of misinformation in contemporary society to the impact of disinformation on public health.

The sessions kicked off with a panel discussion by the Wikimedia District of Columbia Group, followed by a series of enlightening presentations. Among the notable talks were “Open-mic submissions,” a session that featured submissions from various experts discussing misinformation and its impact on different spheres including medicine, politics, and public opinion.

The conference also featured several workshops that focused on practical strategies to counter misinformation. One such workshop, “A Journalistic Remedy for Health Misinformation” by John Gregory from Newsguardtech.com, discussed how NewsGuard applies its credibility and transparency criteria to health information to tackle common issues found on health sites.

In the “Building Immunity to Fake ‘Science'” workshop, participants learned critical information engagement skills to protect themselves from misinformation and techniques for imparting these skills to others. This workshop was aimed at educators seeking to train students to interpret scientific information critically and citizens who want to learn how to blunt the impact of misinformation on science, health, and other critical issues.

Overall, the conference highlighted the urgent need for accurate information in the digital age and emphasized the critical role of media literacy and critical thinking in combating misinformation. It served as a platform for experts from various fields to share their insights and strategies to tackle the growing challenge of misinformation in today’s society.