Media Literacy in the Age of Deepfakes
Produced by the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality with support from J-WEL, this learning module examines how deepfake videos and other synthetic media are reshaping misinformation. It is organized in three sections: first defining key terms around misinformation, then tracing the rise of deepfakes in today's media environment, and finally surveying synthetic media used for civic purposes such as satire, investigative documentary, and public history. The central case study is In Event of Moon Disaster, an award-winning deepfake installation reimagining a failed Apollo 11 landing. The module includes a syllabus, bibliography, and classroom design prompts intended for educators to adapt, with sample materials available through MIT OpenCourseWare. It is a compact but structured unit rather than a full semester course, suited to instructors building media literacy content into an existing curriculum.