AAUW-IL Fall Conference 2024
Sat, Oct 5, 2024
An excellent conference discussed disinformation and AI technology.
Manipulated Realities: Fake News, AI, and the Future of Electoral Politics
In this engaging discussion, media scholar Nolan Higdon will explore the critical intersections of fake news, disinformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and electoral politics. Drawing on his extensive research in media literacy and political communication, Higdon will examine how disinformation campaigns, fueled by AI technologies, are shaping contemporary political landscapes and influencing voter perceptions. He will explain strategies used to disseminate misleading information, the role of tech platforms in amplifying it, and the impact on democratic processes. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the challenges posed by this evolving media environment and learn tools to critically engage with the information they encounter in electoral contexts.
Dr. Nolan Higdon is an author and university lecturer at Merrill College and the Education Department at University of California, Santa Cruz. Higdon’s areas of concentration include podcasting, digital culture, news media history, and critical media literacy. Higdon is a regular contributor to Savage Minds and is a Project Censored National Judge. He is the author of The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education (University of California Press, 2020), and Let’s Agree to Disagree: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management, and Critical Media Literacy (Routledge, 2022) with Mickey Huff. Higdon is a founding member of the Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas. He has served as a source of expertise for CBS, NBC, The New York Times, and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Breakout Sessions:
- Program Sharing. Share and get ideas for mission-based programs and collaborations with other branches and allies. Facilitator: Kathyy Battee-Freeman, AAUW-IL Program Co-VP
- Get Out the Vote! How are you getting out the vote in your community? Share your good ideas! Facilitators: Karen Kortsch and Ken Olson, AAUW-IL Public Policy Directors
- College and University Membership Benefits. Learn how to engage your post-secondary institution and why they should join AAUW. Facilitator: Ruth Holst, AAUW-IL Director of Finance
- Make Your Branch a Star! Use AAUW’s Five Star criteria to increase your branch’s impact. Facilitators: Laura Desmarais, AAUW-IL President; Danielle Byron, AAUW-IL Membership Co-VP
Past AAUW-IL State Convention
Celebrating 100 Years of Empowering Women
Held April 19-20, 2024 in Elgin
* Read the 2024 Convention Booklet on the Members Only page *
100 Years of AAUW-IL History: View this slide show as shown at our April 2024 State Conference.
Past AAUW Regional Conference
Held October 19 -21, 2023 in St. Louis, MO
The Illinois group at the AAUW Regional Conference: