The Center for Humane Technology podcast is produced by Dan Kedmeir and Natalie Jones. This week, we talk with Claire Cevallos about her work on the front lines of fake news. What can people do to help your work? Please keep doing what you're doing. And we all support you even if you feel alone sometimes.
How can tech companies help flatten the curve? First and foremost, they must address the lethal misinformation and disinformation circulating on their platforms. The problem goes much deeper than fake news, according to Claire Wardle, co-founder and executive director of First Draft. She studies the gray zones of information warfare, where bad actors mix facts with falsehoods, news with gossip, and sincerity with satire. “Most of this stuff isn't fake and most of this stuff isn't news,” Claire argues. If these subtler forms of misinformation go unaddressed, tech companies may not only fail to flatten the curve — they could raise it higher.