The School of Library and Information Studies and assistant professor Tara Zimmerman, PhD, hosted a German contingent in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and others Tuesday morning.

The State Department’s premier professional exchange program – the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) - teamed with the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth (WACDFW) and others for an exchange program on fighting disinformation and extremism online. The WACDFW identified Zimmerman as a rising authority on identifying and addressing misinformation and disinformation through social media and asked her to host a contingent of German professionals that included a German city's Head of Office for Democracy and Social Cohesion, a policy advisor, reporters, a university student and more.

“Our hope is that this meeting encourages a robust discussion about best practices in fighting dis- and misinformation and be the start of a long-lasting conversation between the participants and Dr. Zimmerman,” said WACDFW International Services Manager Mahalet Kefyalew.

Zimmerman presented educational strategies for media literacy and critical thinking to the group Tuesday morning.

“I think it went really well. They were really engaged,” Zimmerman said. “They had really good questions.”