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This course introduces students to disinformation as a major challenge of contemporary information environments and democratic societies. It begins with the basics of information evaluation and fact-checking, and gradually moves on to more complex phenomena such as deepfakes, post-truth or hybrid influence. The course also explores the tension between regulating disinformation and protecting freedom of speech.
Through discussions and group work, students are encouraged to form and articulate their own positions and to consider practical ways of responding to disinformation in public communication. Erasmus students gain insight into the Czech context through guest lectures on hybrid influence operations by Russia and China, becoming familiar with current challenges in the post-communist Central European region and local approaches to countering disinformation. Poslední úprava: Klásková Markéta, Mgr., Ph.D. (27.01.2026)
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Knowledge and Understanding
Skills and Abilities
Poslední úprava: Klásková Markéta, Mgr., Ph.D. (27.01.2026)
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Assessment and evaluation
You are expected to form groups of three and meet twice during the semester to work collaboratively on two projects: the Position Paper on Freedom of Speech and the Policy Brief on Countering Disinformation. Details will be explained in the first week of the semester. Please note that these meetings will take place outside the regular course schedule, and you will need to submit both the group assignments and meeting minutes. Each group assignment will also be defended in class. Points for activity are awarded individually based on attendance. The final test is also completed individually, so your overall grade reflects your personal performance. Completion of the course, however, requires submission of the group assignments, which are evaluated collectively. Grading: A 100-91, B 90-81, C 80-71, D 70-61, E 60-51, F 50 and less How to cite: https://citace.fsv.cuni.cz/CITFSVEN-8.html Poslední úprava: Klásková Markéta, Mgr., Ph.D. (27.01.2026)
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Core reading VAN DER LINDEN, Sander. 2023. Foolproof: Why misinformation infects our minds and how to build immunity. WW Norton & Company. SCHICK, Nina. 2020. Deepfakes: The coming infocalypse. Hachette UK. MCINTYRE, Lee. 2018. Post-Truth. Cambridge: MIT Press. MCINTYRE, Lee. 2023. On disinformation: How to fight for truth and protect democracy. MIT Press. Further reading Frankfurt, H. G. (2009). On bullshit. Graves, L. (2016). Deciding what’s true: The rise of political fact-checking in American journalism. Columbia University Press. Helm, R. K., & Nasu, H. (2021). Regulatory responses to “fake news” and freedom of expression: Normative and empirical evaluation. Human Rights Law Review, 21(2), 302–328. https://doi.org/10.1093/hrlr/ngaa060 Husovec, M. (2024). The Digital Services Act’s red line: what the Commission can and cannot do about disinformation. Journal of Media Law, 16(1), 47-56. Jacobs, L. G. (2022). Freedom of speech and regulation of fake news. The American Journal of Comparative Law, 70(Supplement_1), i278–i311. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcl/avac010 Jowett, G. S., & O'donnell, V. (2018). Propaganda & persuasion. Sage publications. Latour, B (2004) Why has critique run out of steam? From matters of fact to matters of concern. Critical Inquiry 30: 225–248. Lewandowsky, S., Gignac, G. E., & Oberauer, K. (2013). The role of conspiracist ideation and worldviews in predicting rejection of science. PloS one, 8(10), e75637. Pospíšil Macková, A., Hrbková, L., & Macek, J. (2023). Exploring the Audience of Alternative News Media: Trust, Reflexivity, and Political Attitudes in the Czech Republic. Van Dyk, S. (2022). Post-truth, the future of democracy and the public sphere. Theory, Culture & Society, 39(4), 37-50. Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policymaking (Vol. 27, pp. 1-107). Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Wigell, M. (2019). Hybrid interference as a wedge strategy: a theory of external interference in liberal democracy. International affairs, 95(2), 255-275. Czech-language sources Koblížek, T., Hanych, M., & Kalenský, J. (2025). Dezinformace a hate speech: Z hlediska filozofie, práva a bezpečnosti. Academia. Kolomazník, T., Rod, Z., & Sarvaš, Š. (2024). Proč věříme dezinformacím? Strategická komunikace jako možná cesta z bludného kruhu. Kniha Zlín. All study materials and further instructions for the course are available on Moodle 1: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=18809 Poslední úprava: Klásková Markéta, Mgr., Ph.D. (28.01.2026)
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lectures and seminar workshops Poslední úprava: Klásková Markéta, Mgr., Ph.D. (20.01.2025)
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Outline
Guests Veronika Víchová co-founded the Center for an Informed Society as an analyst, where she is now responsible for the "Resilience in the Infosphere" initiative, focusing on challenges and solutions related to disinformation. She hosts a podcast called “Rušičky”. Zuzana Košková is a sinologist who leads the Red Watch analytical program at the European Values Center for Security Policy, focusing on Chinese influence. Her research interests include Chinese media, propaganda and disinformation. Use of AI Tools in the Course As this course focuses on disinformation in digital information environments, students are encouraged to engage with generative AI tools as part of the learning process — critically, ethically, and reflectively. AI tools will be discussed both as resources for fact-checking and analysis and as sources of risk, including deepfakes and other forms of AI-generated disinformation. Important rules: · Students are required to actively participate in group meetings, engage in discussion, and formulate their positions through their own reasoning and argumentation. AI tools may support this process but cannot replace independent thinking or group deliberation. · Any use of AI tools must be clearly acknowledged in every submitted assignment; please also state explicitly if you have not used AI tools at all. · Submitting AI-generated text as your own work without attribution constitutes plagiarism. Instructor use: Official guidance: · Charles University AI info: https://ai.cuni.cz/AIEN-1.html · Rules for student work: https://ai.cuni.cz/AIEN-13.html · Recommendations for theses: https://ai.cuni.cz/AIEN-42.html ⚠️ DeepSeek is not allowed at Charles University. Poslední úprava: Klásková Markéta, Mgr., Ph.D. (30.01.2026)
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