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Media Literacy

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Commentary
America May Not Be Ready for the Looming Tsunami of Deepfakes
Images and videos have been falsified since the first photographs were taken. But deepfakes are fundamentally different. Their realism, and the scale and ease with which they can be produced, make them incredibly potent disinformation tools.
Nov 10, 2022
Essay
Improving Media Literacy in Middle School
Middle schoolers can be savvy users of news and information—when they know where to look. But they're also easy marks for misinformation, disinformation, and trolls. Helping them find their way in today's media landscape is important both for their futures and for the future of democracy.
Sep 6, 2022

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Commentary
How Can Platforms Deal with Toxic Content? Look to Wall Street
Social media has a content problem. It's not the content itself, although the list of toxic material is long. The problem is the sheer volume of content. Instead of trusting in self-regulation, the United States could use its regulation of Wall Street after 2008 as a roadmap for regulating tech.
May 26, 2023
Commentary
The Changing Landscape of Health Literacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With the official public health emergency ended, now is a good time to reflect on the changing landscape of health literacy and consider how we can improve health communication in the future.
May 9, 2023
Commentary
ChatGPT's Work Lacks Transparency and That Is a Problem
In a world with Large Language Models such as ChatGPT, there is a growing need for modernized data literacy. Developers need to be more transparent about their algorithms and data sources so that people can assess the inherent sources of bias or problems with the approach.
May 8, 2023
Announcement
Ray Block Joins RAND as Inaugural Michael D. Rich Chair for Countering Truth Decay
Ray Block, a respected academic in the field of political science and African American studies, will join the RAND Corporation as its inaugural Michael D. Rich Chair for Countering Truth Decay effective February 27.
Feb 22, 2023
Report
Defining and Measuring Civic Infrastructure
Is the United States in a civic crisis? Or is American democracy simply evolving? A framework for defining and measuring civic infrastructure can help answer these questions—and preserve a healthy democracy.
Nov 30, 2022
Blog
Dementia Rates, Deepfakes, Migrant Students: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the decline of dementia rates among Americans, the dangers of deepfakes, data privacy after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and more.
Nov 18, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: November-December 2022
Features explore an innovative fellowship for military veterans, spouses, and caregivers; how veterans fare in the civilian labor market after leaving the military; and the impact of racism on patient safety in health care settings.
Oct 31, 2022
Announcement
Fake RAND Report on 'Weakening Germany'
A supposedly leaked RAND report about a bizarre U.S. conspiracy to “weaken Germany” is fake. Genuine RAND research, analysis, and commentary on the war in Ukraine may be found at rand.org.
Sep 14, 2022
Blog
Veterans Health Care, Media Literacy, Sleep Retreats: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the challenges of VA community care, the importance of improving middle schoolers' media literacy skills, tips to improve sleep, and more.
Sep 9, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: September-October 2022
The cover story is a profile of RAND's new president and CEO. Other features explore how teachers and principals have been faring in the COVID era and how to improve media literacy among middle schoolers.
Sep 8, 2022
Commentary
Facebook Misinformation Is Bad Enough. The Metaverse Will Be Worse
Virtual reality environments such as the metaverse will enable psychological and emotional manipulation of users at a level unimaginable in today's media. We must not wait until these technologies are fully realized to consider appropriate guardrails for them. We can reap the benefits of the metaverse while minimizing its potential for great harm.
Aug 22, 2022
Blog
Talking to Russia, Racial Bias, Mine-Hunting Dolphins: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on preventing escalation of the war in Ukraine, how racial bias compounds over time, why the Navy should stick with its mine-hunting dolphins, and more.
Jul 29, 2022
Commentary
Countering Abortion Misinformation in the Post-Roe Environment
Misinformation could become a major barrier to individuals trying to find safe, legal, and quality reproductive care. How might states, health insurers, and technology companies address this problem?
Jul 6, 2022
Report
The Threat of Deepfakes
Various AI technologies are ripe for use in disinformation campaigns. Deepfake videos represent an obvious threat, but voice cloning, deepfake images, and generative text also merit concern. And websites now offer access to deepfake services.
Jul 6, 2022
Announcement
Endowed Chair to Advance Truth Decay Research Established in Honor of RAND President and CEO Michael D. Rich
RAND supporters have contributed more than $4 million to endow a new chair to advance research aimed at countering Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life—while paying tribute to RAND President and CEO Michael D. Rich, who is stepping down this year after more than a decade at the institution's helm.
Jun 3, 2022
Blog
Gun Policy, China and Taiwan, Russian Propaganda: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reducing America's unacceptably high rates of gun violence, what would happen if China “quarantines” Taiwan, and Russia's “firehose of falsehood.”
May 27, 2022
Blog
Russia Will Struggle to Sustain Its Disinformation Machine, Former New York Times/BBC Chief Tells RAND Europe
As former head of the New York Times and the BBC, Mark Thompson has tackled disinformation on both sides of the Atlantic. One of his big takeaways: It's not as easy as you might think to sustain a successful disinformation campaign.
May 24, 2022
Blog
Combating Disinformation by Bolstering Truth and Trust
For Jessica Cecil, founder and former head of the Trusted News Initiative, today feels a bit like the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, in which agreed-upon facts endure in only a few isolated places of elite discussion and there is no common language of politics. She spoke about the need for governments, companies, news organizations, and relevant civil society groups to work together to combat disinformation at a meeting of RAND Europe's Council of Advisors.
May 24, 2022

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Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor

Researcher Spotlight

Andrew Parasiliti

Adjunct Political Scientist

Andrew Parasiliti is an adjunct political scientist at the RAND Corporation and president of Al-Monitor. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Virginia Club of New York. He received a Ph.D. from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins…
Molly Selvin

Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Molly Selvin is a legal historian who first began teaching at Pardee RAND in the 1980s when she was a RAND social science analyst. After leaving RAND, she spent 18 years as a staff writer with the Los Angeles Times, serving as a member of the Editorial Board and a business reporter.

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