The College of Liberal Arts, University Forum Lecture Series presents “Using Stories to Combat Misinformation,” a talk by Angeline (LeeAnn) Sangalang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of Dayton

Stories are some of our oldest communication tools, though narratives have only recently received attention as strategic messaging efforts to promote health and social change. Because stories are engaging, message recipients become immersed in them, resulting at shifts in beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. This conversation aims to demonstrate that stories may have the ability to overcome particularly resistant communication contexts such as misinformation and stigma. Results from empirical studies in three areas will be discussed: Misleading information about organic tobacco products, the reduction of mental health stigma, and myths surrounding prescription stimulant use.