UNYP to host public webinar on fake news and COVID-19

UNYP to host public webinar on fake news and COVID-19: Inoculating the Public against Disinformation

The University of New York in Prague is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its second online Czech-language webinar for the general public. The event will be focused on fake news and disinformation in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing global vaccination process.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a golden opportunity for purveyors of disinformation, and the emergence of viable vaccines has only accelerated the flow of fake news. Disinformation is easily presented as truth in the environment of endless online opportunities to misinform, information overload and media illiteracy. The disinformation trend has become a worldwide phenomenon which dramatically influences global and local politics.

The free UNYP webinar will be held on the Zoom platform and streamed live on UNYP’s YouTube channel. Please note that it will be entirely in the Czech language.

Topics for discussion:

· What possible motives lie behind the spread of fake news about COVID-19?

· How does the Czech Republic compare internationally?

· How can public relations and strategic communication tactics be employed to help the public obtain accurate information?

The webinar guests are PR and strategic communication professionals, who will guide us through the current situation, discuss actual trends and present possible solutions of the chaotic public communication environment.

Todd Nesbitt is the Dean of the School of Communication and Media at University of New York in Prague. Todd completed his Master’s and Ph.D. at the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, where he has taught courses at the Law, Humanities and Social Sciences faculties. Todd’s research activities are mainly focused on strategic political communication, media globalization and media ownership.

Martin Pavlíček is the Managing Director of Havas Worldwide Prague. He completed his Bachelor’s, Master’s and MBA at the University of New York in Prague, where he currently teaches a course in Public Communication and Media Relations. Martin’s impressive career includes working as a spokesperson for ČEZ, Director of Communications at Unipetrol, Director of Corporate Communications at UPC, and leading the Havas Worldwide Prague agency since 2015.

Registrations available via this link. UNYP´s YouTube LIVE stream available here.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at jstarostik@unyp.cz with any questions or requests.

Written by Jiri Starostik