Here is the Syllabus for JRN 450 - Disinformation 2022

1. JRN 450 – Senior Seminar – Syllabus
(v. 1.0: 08/29/2022)
Three Academic Credits
Fall 2022 /Quinnipiac University
Associate Professor Rich Hanley
Voice: 203.582.8439 / e-mail: rhanley@qu.edu
Office Hours: Zoom
Mondays & Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. –6:30 p.m., and by appointment.
https://quinnipiac.zoom.us/j/94348420555
Note: If the link is not working, launch Zoom and use the following Meeting ID:
943 4842 0555.
General Purpose
This seminar gives students the opportunity to take a deep dive into the historical antecedents of
disinformation and to learn sources and methods of disinformation to understand how to reveal
and reverse the contamination of the media ecosystem and neutralize truth decay.
Description
In the 2005, the U.S. Army released Field Manual FM 3-05.302 | MCRP 3-40.6B to execute its
tactical doctrine for psychological operations, or psyops. On page 1.3, a diagram shows Battlespace
components centered on the areas of interest and operation (combat). Both, along with other force
elements, are enveloped by a single element known as the Information Environment.
In January 2016, Valery Gerasimov, the General of the Army and Chief of the General Staff of the
Russian Federation Armed Force, wrote that the “’very rules of war’ have changed. The role of
nonmilitary means of achieving political and strategic goals has grown, and, in many cases, they
have exceeded the power of force of weapons in their effectiveness.” In fact, a supporter of this
approach stated that the Russian disinformation campaign against the United States had altered
minds.
Media of all kinds in the west – open, free, technologically sophisticated and susceptible to
manipulation because of its nature – are critical to the success of these psyops. In fact, these
operations have already shaped a language speckled with phrases such as post-truth and fake news to
a point of quantum existence when the audience simultaneously processes the information as both
true and false.
And that is the point of disinformation. It is circulated to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt, or in the
words of Steve Bannon, to “flood the zone” with information excrement to overwhelm people to
create apathy and cynicism toward institutions of all kinds but particularly journalism.
The role of the journalist is to pry apart the atoms of information and show which is verifiably true
and which is verifiably false. That means the journalist must learn the techniques of disinformation to
neutralize or de-weaponize it to give the audience the capacity to litigate the ultimate question of
truth. Why is that important? Decisions based on disinformation can create unpredictable
consequences, even outside of politics, for both individuals and society.
This class will focus on techniques to determine the rationale behind and the tactical execution of

2. disinformation campaigns and to develop techniques to cover such operations as they unfold. In
short, we will focus on verification to avoid exploitation and to report on attempts to spread
disinformation, particularly through digital means such as social media and the deployment of bots to
make the original information seem more popular and hence credible than reality suggests.
Ultimately, we will be equipped to evaluate this so-called information battlespace to cover it as we
would any theater of combat and reveal to the audience sources and methods of specific
disinformation campaigns.
In-Class Structure
Please note that this class is designed as a classic seminar, with a combination of lectures and
class discussions. As such, the class will not be administered in the traditional format. We will
discuss weekly assigned readings and seek an understanding of the complexity behind
disinformation campaigns to adequately identify such campaigns and convey the information to
the public.
Reading Materials
There are no assigned textbooks. All readings and writing assignments are posted in the Course
Materials section of Blackboard.
Outcomes
i. Establish proficiency in the historical antecedents of the role of disinformation campaigns since
the late 1940s. Key grading point: Does the student understand the evolution of disinformation as a
key element of the media ecosystem?
ii. Interpret concepts of objectivity, verification and accountability in terms of handling
information that may be questionable regarding its link to traditional news values.
iii. Identify and use reliable digital sources for authenticating information for accuracy and origins.
Key grading point: Can the student elicit insight and information from human sources and then
confirm that information independent of the original source to neutralize disinformation?
iv. Evaluate the work of non-journalists in certain professional media occupations that pursue
different approaches to truth (i.e., advertising, opinion writing, documentary film, etc.) and may not
be using disinformation but instead are following acceptable practices in their field? Key grading
point: Does the student reflect the ability to distinguish informational sources from the broad
spectrum of media forms and standards across professions?
v. Explore digital media for both its benefits and drawbacks in presenting information. Key grading
point: Can the student articulate that technology can be both beneficial and harmful to people?
vi. Understand the ethics and legal consequences of journalism as a professional practice as applied
to the day-to-day process of gathering facts and producing news stories in the context of a media
ecosystem brimming with information. Key point: Is the student an ethical practitioner?
Evaluation
Students are required to read all class materials, participate fully in class discussions and deliver
assignments on time. Grades are based on compliance with the posted outcomes:

3. • Writing Assignments: 80 percent
• Attendance/Participation: 20 percent
Please note students are required to attend class. Students who have more than one unexcused absence
will have their final point total docked five points each for second and subsequent absences.
General Grading Rubric:
A: The highest mark will be applied for work that suggests a firm grasp of the assigned reading
material presented in the context of a superior analytical framework per standards of academic
writing and research.
B: An above-average mark will be applied to work that suggests a firm grasp of the assigned
reading but needs modest revisions and a sharper analysis per standards of academic writing and
research.
C: An above-average mark will be applied to work that lacks a degree of essential information to
support the conclusion and is organizationally choppy. It needs to be revised but not completely
rewritten.
D: A poor mark will be applied to work that would be returned for a thorough reworking in terms of
information and presentation.
F: A failing mark will be applied for work that is either not posted or is rejected outright without
comment as it would not be salvageable.
Academic Integrity
This class conforms to both the letter and spirit of the University Academic Integrity Policy. A link
to the document is available on Blackboard via the course Syllabus page.
Required Books/Readings
Please see Course Materials on Blackboard for specific reading assignments for each class.
Papers
Paper note: All papers must be written in 12-point Times New Roman font and follow MLA Style in
terms of formatting. All papers must be posted on Blackboard on the specified date and time.
There are two papers each of 10 pages (excluding the Works Cited page) in length assigned for the
course. See paper prompts and due dates in Course Materials.