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SYNOPSIS

Dan and Rachel talk with Cyd Harrell about the challenges of providing information to citizens that is accurate and accessible, even when it needs to be official and formal. Rachel discusses the Accuracy as a lens for evaluating information ecosystems. Dan explains the lens Accountability.

EPISODE CONTENTS

Stories of Disinformation

Dan describes misinformation from the Bush administration that provided the impetus for the US invasion of Iraq

The Iraq Invasion 20 Years Later (Mother Jones)
Lie by Lie: A Timeline of How We Got Into Iraq (Mother Jones)
The Other "Big Lie" and Our Democratic Fragility (Harvard Kennedy School)

Rachel describes how the US National Park Rangers handle messaging guidelines from the Trump administration

Interview with Cyd Harrell

Cyd's book, A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide

Lenses

Accuracy

It turns out accuracy is a spectrum, and sometimes information is "accurate enough" for the purposes of the people using it. At the same time, some domains require information that is precise, even when that isn't required by all users.

How does the system define and uphold an acceptable threshold for accuracy?
How does the system ensure information is precise?

Accountable

When information is held accountable, it is subjected to outside critique and validation. Perfectly closed systems prevent information from being scrutinized. But also, systems that appear open can be compromised.

How does the system encourage sources to be accountable for their contributions?
How does the system enable outside criticism and give it equal weight to the original contributions?

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Personnel

Dan Brown, Host
Rachel Price, Host
Emily Duncan, Editor

Music

Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot

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Personnel

Dan Brown, Host
Rachel Price, Host
Emily Duncan, Editor

Music

Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot

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Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid

Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

God Still Gets Through (Baptism of Our Lord)