A Spotlight on Rumors: Illuminating How Influence and Improvisation Shape Online Conversations
UW Professor Kate Starbird discussed her work in understanding online rumors, misinformation and disinformation.
Rumors are an inherent human reaction to crisis events like natural disasters or political upheaval because they help us make sense of what’s happening. At the 2025 University Faculty Lecture, UW Professor Kate Starbird will discuss her work understanding how online rumors, misinformation and disinformation are created and shared in uncertain times — shining a light on the roles we and others play on social media and beyond.
Winner of the UW 2024 University Faculty Lecture Award, Starbird is a professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering. She is also co-founder and past director of the UW Center for an Informed Public, an interdisciplinary research hub for the study of misinformation and disinformation.
Starbird’s research sits at the intersection of human-computer interaction and crisis informatics — the study of how social media and other digital technologies are used during crisis events. Her current focus is on how online rumors, misinformation and disinformation are produced and spread during crises and breaking news events. She’s especially interested in the participatory nature of rumors and online disinformation campaigns.