Navigating Disinformation - Who Should We Trust? with Babita Sharma

In recent years, the news and information landscape has become increasingly hard to navigate. The rise of fake news and rapid spread of disinformation and misinformation via social media is eroding trust in institutions, dividing communities, and damaging our democracies. We are exposed to millions of pieces of information every day but how do we know who we should trust, and what skills do we need to fact check what we’re being told? And who is making the decisions in news sources and sites that we rely on?

Join us to hear from broadcaster and Cardiff University alumna, Babita Sharma, who will talk about her experiences of working as a journalist and interviewer in the era of fake news and artificial intelligence, how she calls out those in power seeking to spread disinformation, and how it’s our mutual responsibility to critically examine what we’re being told. Babita will also be joined by a panel of Cardiff University experts to delve deeper into the topic and share their latest research findings.

Babita Sharma is a distinguished broadcaster, journalist, and award-winning author with over 15 years of experience at the BBC.

Babita recently presented the podcast series, Whose Truth? which explores the impact of disinformation about COVID-19, misogyny, climate change and the war in Ukraine. Her journalism career includes covering major global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 U.S. elections, and the Black Lives Matter protests, which earned her the Asian Achievement Award.

Her acclaimed book The Corner Shop explores the social history of Britain's corner shops, inspired by her childhood growing up above one in 1980s Britain. The book won a Business Book Award and was featured on BBC Radio Four and BBC Two's Between the Covers Book Club.

Babita chairs high-profile events, including the United Nations World Investment Forum 2023, the World A.I. Summit, COP 27, and the UK Tech Awards. She graduated from Cardiff University with a BA in Journalism, Film and Broadcasting in 1998.

Professor Martin Innes is Lead Co-Director of the Security, Crime, and Intelligence Innovation Institute at Cardiff University. He is a world expert in the understanding of disinformation and leads a major international research programme to understand the causes and consequences of distorting and deceptive digital communications.

Professor Kate Daunt is a Professor of Marketing at Cardiff Business School and Co-Director of Cardiff University's Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute. Her research interests include disinformation, influencer marketing, consumer misbehaviour and behavioural change.

Bella Orpen is a PhD student and Research Associate with the Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute. Her research interests are in conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns.

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