Psychology can play an important role in helping us understand what audiences respond to (Dr Jon Roozenbeek, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab)
For newsrooms looking to employ the latest AI tools, fact-checking and social listening tools to tackle the spread of disinformation it may be time to consider a new addition to your must have' list: a psychologist.
Dr Jon Roozenbeek from the University of Cambridge's Social-Decision Making Lab may have been kidding when he told an audience at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia that every newsroom needed a psychologist, but the thinking behind it is deadly serious.
Psychology can play an important role in helping us understand what audiences respond to, said Jon, who explained how a concept called prebunking' could be used by journalists to tackle the spread of mis and disinformation during this bumper year of global elections.
You try to predict what might go viral, or what people might be exposed to in the future or near future and then you debunk it pre-emptively, he said.
Jons latest book The Psychology of Misinformation' was co-written with Professor Sander van der Linden who's an expert in our new free online course: Rethinking Disinformation.
There is a withdrawal of certain groups from society because the pillars of trust that they used to believe in have crumbled...
John-Allan Namu, Africa Uncensored
Jon was joined on our panel to discuss Digital resilience for journalists in a year of elections' by investigative journalist John-Allan Namu, who's the co-founder of Africa Uncensored, and Charlotte Maher, the social media editor for Bellingcat.
[Disinformation] is a problem that's so big we need fairly big and audacious solutions to be able to counter it, said John-Allan. He revealed that previous elections in Kenya had shown the country being used as a testing ground' for new ways of disseminating disinformation which could be then applied elsewhere.
There is a withdrawal of certain groups of people from society because the pillars of trust that they used to believe in either have crumbled or no longer exist and all youre seeing today is a replication of that online, said John-Allan.
Something that isn t talked about very often when it comes to AI is the risk of AI audio.
Charlotte Maher, Bellingcat
Generative AI Harnessing the power of generative AI tools was a key theme of this year's festival. As newsrooms globally struggle with the trust' issue many are clearly hoping that technology can provide one solution. But the downside too remains apparent.
Charlotte Maher from Bellingcat told the panel audience: I think something that isn't talked about very often when it comes to AI is the risk of AI audio.
AI audio deepfakes have appeared in recent election campaigns but she said the AI tools weren't there to help journalists expose them in the same way as they were for images and video. Charlotte revealed that Bellingcat is focusing on media literacy and educating the public.
-- Play
-- --
Watch the complete recording of our panel Digital Resilience for Journalists in a Year of Elections' now on YouTube.
Jon Roozenbeek suggests journalists learn tricks such as repeating the message which are used by disinformers to persuade audiences to listen. You need to ensure somehow that there remains a sort of organic demand for what you're doing, he said. If you develop a video that you run as an ad on YouTube, that people see as part of a media literacy programme, then the video better be interesting...but also you need to be enticed to watch the next video as well... So that's an innovation question that is not easy.
The International Journalism Festival is held every year in the Italian city of Perugia and attracts hundreds of journalists, tech executives, and civic society organisations to discuss some of the most crucial issues in the Media industry.
Stopping false information Our course Rethinking Disinformation is free and available now via the Journalism Now e-learning platform.
Catherine Mackie Training and Communications Editor
About: Catherine is responsible for designing training programmes for Thomson Foundation and has been a senior journalist for more than 30 years.
Explore our projects across the globe
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Psychology can play an important role in helping us understand what audiences respond to (Dr Jon Roozenbeek, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab)
