Robert Berkman
Part-time Assistant Professor
Email
berkmanr@newschool.edu
Office Location
A - 66 West 12th Street
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Profile
Robert Berkman has over 25 years experience as an editor, author, and professor in the media and information industries. He is the founder and co-editor of The Information Advisor's Guide to Internet Research, an international monthly journal for professional researchers. He has also served as Director and Lead Analyst, for the information industry analyst firm Outsell Inc. and Contributing Editor, for MIT Sloan Management Review's Innovation Hub: Social Business. Berkman also is a managing editor at Simba Information.
He is author of several books, including Digital Dilemmas: Ethical Issues for Online Media Professionals (Iowa State Press, 2003; co-editor with Christopher Shumway); The Skeptical Business Searcher (Information Today, 2003) and Find It Fast: How to Uncover Expert Information on Any Subject (CyberAge 6th edition 2015; HarperCollins 1st-5th editions 1988-2000).
Berkman has given seminars and workshops on online research, social media, digital media ethics, and information trends at organizations including the European Journalism Centre, Maastricht Netherlands; Accenture Europe; the Special Libraries Association, and other universities, institutes and companies.
Degrees Held
MA Journalism, University of Montana
MLIS Western University, London, ON (2024)
Recent Publications
RECENT JOURNAL ARTICLES
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Are News Librarians Making a Comeback? The Past, Present, and Possible Future of News Librarians, Online Searcher, May-June 2022
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Mindfulness, Nudges, and Empathy: New Media Literacies? Online Searcher, May-June 2021
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When online fact-checking is a trap : the Weaponization of MediaLiteracy, Online Searcher, March-April 2021
RECENT BOOKS
Find it Fast: Extracting Expert Information from Social Networks, Big Data, Tweets, and More (6th edition; CyberAge, 2015)
Performances and Appearances
March 2023 Global Media Education Summit, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BA Developing a News Media Literacy Video Series for 9,000 Undergraduate Students
October 2019 Centennial Celebration, The New School, New York, NY The Future of Ethics for an AI, Data-Driven Media Industry. Moderator, Panel Discussion
April 2019 ACRL, Cleveland, OH Must Be Comfortable with Ambiguity: Shared Process of Creating a Course on Data Ethics.
January 2019 School of Information Studies, University of Ottawa, ON Big Data and Ethics: An Emerging Role for Information Professionals: Research Talk
September 2018 Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy Educating Students About Agenda-based, Algorithmically-driven Media: Best Practices
June 2017. New York Association of Library Assistants, Syracuse NY Inoculating Students Against Agenda-based, Algorithmically-driven Fake Digital News
May 2017 Data & Society, New York, NY Workshop: Propaganda and Media Manipulation [Invited Participant]
March 2017 Computers in Libraries, Washington DC The Information Professionals Role in Training Students on Identifying “Fake News”
March, 2016 Computers in Libraries, Washington DC; October, 2015. Internet Librarian, Monterey, CA
Research Interests
Media literacy, news media literacy, disinformation, media ethics, social media, online research, search engines, business research
Awards And Honors
2020 Innovations in Education Grant: Office of the Provost, The New School, New York, NY.
Developed 6-part video series for faculty for their students on developing news media literacy skills and avoiding digital misinformation.
2017 Distinguished Faculty Award: Media Management, School of Media Studies, The New School,
New York, NY
2011-2017 PBS: WXXI Public Broadcasting, Rochester New York
Member, WXXI Public Television Community Advisory Board (Chair: 2016-2017)
National Press Club, Washington DC: Speakers Committee