Rampant disinformation is stifling progress toward an informed public and functioning democracy. But a concerning shortage of world leaders is moving to address the crisis. At the first full day of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, this January,...
Misinformation
Twitter’s Hate and Disinformation Spike Demands Regulation
Online content regulation may be necessary to safeguard democracy and the quality of information people consume amid harmful falsehoods and outright violence. Elon Musk’s October 27 acquisition of Twitter, which entailed massive layoffs for key staff, led to a...
How Demagogues Harness Social Media
Despite clear visual evidence to the contrary, former President Donald Trump and his press secretary, Sean Spicer, insisted that his inauguration crowd had been larger than the one at President Obama’s inauguration in 2008. In a series of experiments done not long...
Fox News’ Anti-Immigrant Fearmongering is Dangerous
Republican voters in the United States are increasingly hostile toward illegal immigrants, spurred by mounting hardline anti-immigration rhetoric from politicians whose views mainstream conservative outlets like Fox News amplify. Fox News show no signs of letting up...
Countering COVID Misinformation with Science
COVID-19 caseloads are climbing again, and the Right continues to spread virus misinformation as the government struggles with its response. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given contradictory advice over the past months concerning mask wearing—its...
What I Learned Watching Fox News This Week
Fox News has recently been campaigning egregious right-wing talking points—from claims that “critical race theory” seeks to punish white people to encouraging the flouting of vaccines and public health practices even while the deadly Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads....
Media Spreads Big Lies as Jan. 6 Committee Attempts to Hold Insurrectionists Accountable
On January 6, 2021, a mob of loyalists to former president Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol building after he delivered an incendiary speech that falsely claimed the 2020 election, and its ongoing certification in the Capitol, was fraudulent. After Senate...
Why Antitrust Bills Are Taking on Big Tech
Four tech giants have been consolidating wealth and media control over the past several years, and especially during the pandemic. Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google have cemented their platforms in businesses from social media to movies as critics argue their...