In this episode of Misguided, I’m joined by Dr. Kevin Meuwissen, professor of education at the University of Rochester, to explore one of the most urgent questions in education today: how do we prepare young people to navigate a world overflowing with disinformation, political polarization, and fractured trust?

We discuss Kevin’s journey from high school teacher to researcher, and how those experiences shaped his work training educators to tackle tough topics like conspiracy theories, fake news, and historical distortion in the classroom. He shares how his professional learning cadre helps teachers engage students in meaningful conversations about truth, credibility, and civic responsibility, all while contending with social, political, and institutional pressures.

Keywordsmedia literacy, misinformation, disinformation, political polarization, civic education, critical thinking, information literacy, social studies, public trust, high school education, communication, Kevin Meuwissen

Kevin Meuwissen’s University of Rochester website

‪Kevin Meuwissen‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬

Kevin Meuwissen on Bluesky

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