Robert Berkman

Robert Berkman is a Part-time Assistant Professor at the School of Media Studies, The New School. With over 25 years of experience in media and information industries, he serves as founder/co-editor of The Information Advisor's Guide to Internet Research, and has held roles at Outsell Inc., MIT Sloan Management Review, and Simba Information. His expertise spans media literacy, disinformation, and digital ethics.

Education:

• MA Journalism, University of Montana
• MLIS (expected 2024), Western University, London, ON

Research Interests: Media literacy, news media literacy, disinformation, media ethics, social media, online research, search engines, and business research. He emphasizes combating algorithmic bias, fake news, and digital misinformation through education and institutional frameworks.

Recent Work Trends: His articles address evolving challenges in news librarianship, the role of mindfulness in media literacy, and ethical pitfalls of fact-checking. He advocates for proactive strategies to counter disinformation in digital ecosystems.

Awards:

• 2020 Innovations in Education Grant (developed media literacy video series)
• 2017 Distinguished Faculty Award (Media Management)

Advising & Grants: Supervises thesis projects (NMDS 5960) and has led grant-funded initiatives like the 6-part news literacy video series. His courses include Digital Disinformation and AI + Media Industry.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates across institutions (e.g., Simon Fraser University, University of Ottawa) to develop media literacy curricula and engage in interdisciplinary projects addressing AI ethics and data-driven media challenges.