About myself

Md Mahfuzul Haque is a journalism researcher and educator whose interdisciplinary work explores the intersections of journalism, computational technology, and disinformation. His research examines the societal threats posed by disinformation and the roles both fact-checkers and traditional journalists play in addressing it. He also investigates how these professionals adopt artificial intelligence and computational tools, focusing on how such innovations influence reporting practices and the normative values of newsrooms. His work takes a comparative approach, analyzing journalism in the United States and South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Haque, a former journalist, is currently completing his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. He has taught courses in media literacy, mass communication, and computer coding for news reporting at the University of Maryland.

Education

Ph.D. Candidate, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland

MA in Journalism, University of Mississippi

MA in Journalism, Media, and Communication, University of Dhaka

BA in Mass Communication, University of Rajshahi

Professional Experience

Staff Writer, New Age (An English-language national newspaper in Bangladesh), 2011 - 2016

Communication Officer, Center for Communication and Development, 2007 - 2008

Research

My research interests include human-computer interaction, the use of artificial intelligence in fact-checking, misinformation, and digital journalism. I employ interviews, surveys, content analysis, and computational content analysis. Here is my profile on Google Scholar.  

My Research Projects

Fact-checking Journalism, Misinformation, and Artificial Intelligence: Over the past two decades, fact-checking outlets have increased worldwide, playing a crucial role in combating misinformation and providing accurate information to the public. Despite their importance, many of these outlets face significant challenges, often operating on a smaller scale with limited resources. Sustainability remains one of the most pressing concerns, as nearly one-third of fact-checking organizations have ceased operations after a certain period. This project explores the evolution of fact-checking journalism, identifies the constraints faced by these outlets, and investigates strategies to enhance their sustainability – particularly by leveraging computational technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing to streamline their operations and increase their impact. 

Digital Journalism: The digital media environment has dramatically changed how news is produced, as audience preferences vary depending on the platform. This shift has led to the development of new and creative methods for news production and presentation. For instance, when news is distributed via online platforms, the production and presentation often include interactive elements, such as charts and visuals, tailored for online engagement. This project examines news organizations’ content creation in this evolving landscape and explores strategies they can use to engage audiences more effectively.  

Teaching

I have experience teaching undergraduate courses at Merrill College. 

As instructor-of-record, I have taught:

• Introduction to Mass Communication -- The course introduced students to concepts such as media literacy, audiovisual media, social media, public relations and advertising, interactive media, media law and ethics, media theory, and global media.

• Media Literacy -- The course introduced students to the analytical skills to analyze the information, values, and underlying messages conveyed by the media, including newspapers, television, magazines, films, advertising, social media, etc. Students also learned how news and other media shape views of politics, culture, and society.

I have also served as a teaching assistant for several journalism courses, including Introduction to Storytelling with Code, Advanced Reporting, and Narrative Journalism. 

I am equipped to teach skills and knowledge-based undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism and mass communication, as well as courses that emphasize my specialty areas of artificial intelligence in journalism, human-computer interaction, data reporting, multimedia storytelling, fact-checking, and misinformation.