Managing those family conversations over the holiday…

This strange and difficult year has given rise to conspiracy theories and fake news. In this BBC News article, Dr Jovan Byford from the School offers some advice on how to avoid arguments about them - which may be particularly useful during seasonal family conversations. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-55350794

School academic on Radio 5 Live

Dr Jovan Byford talks about the rise in fake news and conspiracy theories as surveys suggest that these have increased during the pandemic. Listen to the programme here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000nsjw Read about Jovan Byford's work here http://www.open.ac.uk/people/jtb77

How to engage with people who believe conspiracy theories

In uncertain times, conspiracy theories proliferate, such as the 'anti-vax' scares that are now circulating online. In a new article in The Conversation, Dr Jovan Byford writes about how to engage with people who believe conspiracy theories. You can read the article here https://theconversation.com/ive-been-talking-to-conspiracy-theorists-for-20-years-here-are-my-six-rules-of-engagement-143132 You can read more about Jovan Byford's work here: http://www.open.ac.uk/people/jtb77    …

How to talk about conspiracy theories without starting an argument

The spread of coronavirus has given rise to a number of conspiracy theories, linking it, for example, to business interests and patents, or the 5G network. Dr Jovan Byford from the School contributes to a new short film on the BBC news website How to talk about conspiracy theories without starting an argument https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-53395619/coronavirus-how-to-talk-about-conspiracy-theories Read more…

How to spot a conspiracy theory

At a time when the news often seems unbelievable, how can we know what's really happening? Dr Jovan Byford from the School offers a helpful guide in this article in The Conversation https://theconversation.com/how-to-spot-a-conspiracy-theory-when-you-see-one-133574