Preserving Truth: The Role of the Wayback Machine

This chapter examines the significance of the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine in countering misinformation and enhancing media accountability through preserving digital content. It highlights the growing distrust in news media and illustrates how archival services enable the public to verify claims and defend against censorship.

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Thank you to BRITA for supporting the podcast, helping us keep our deep dives going, and, of course, keeping us hydrated! Check out BRITA here: https://www.brita.com.au/turnonthetaste

In this episode, I explore the evolution of digital decay and the preservation efforts by non-profit organisation The Internet Archive, owner of the Wayback Machine. I look at instances of mass content erasure online— such as Myspace, Vine, and Gawker— before answering the question: Why is it so important that we preserve internet history?

Timestamps:

00:40 Intro

3:44 What is the Internet Archive and why was it created?

8:40 Challenges and threats to the Internet Archive

12:58 Lost social media: Myspace & Vine

16:04 The importance of longevity and information protection

17:31 The Internet Archive as a “check” on media

23:03 Archiving content & misinformation

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