Will Disinformation Doom Our Democracy? with Nina Jankowicz, Sasha Issenberg & Barbara McQuade
Apr 11, 2024
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Disinformation experts Nina Jankowicz, Sasha Issenberg, and Barbara McQuade discuss the spread of political disinformation, GOP tactics, AI's role in disseminating false information, challenges in tracking misinformation, and strategies to combat disinformation post-2020 elections.
Trump's leadership thrives on half-truths and conspiracy theories, fostering a post-truth environment.
Down-ballot races are vulnerable to deceptive narratives due to lack of resources for effective communication strategies.
AI's influence on disinformation poses risks, particularly in the creation of deep fakes and misleading content at scale.
Deep dives
The Threat of Political Disinformation: Trump's Tactics and GOP's Role
Trump's leadership thrives on half-truths, lies, and conspiracy theories, fostering a post-truth environment where personal attacks replace truth and tribe matters more. The GOP, including House leaders like Jim Jordan, actively engage in spreading disinformation, targeting researchers and tech companies. Expert guests explore the domestic disinformation threat posed by Trump and Republicans, amplifying the need for solutions and awareness.
Impact of Disinformation on Elections: Challenges and Vulnerabilities
The panel outlines concerns about disinformation's effect on elections, particularly focused on down-ballot races' vulnerability to deceptive narratives. They highlight the asymmetrical dynamic faced by candidates at lower levels, inadequately equipped to combat targeted disinformation and lacking support and resources for effective communication strategies.
AI's Role in Disinformation: Amplification and Challenges
The discussion delves into AI's influence on disinformation, emphasizing the swift creation of deceptive narratives and the propagation of misleading content at scale. The potential risks of AI-generated deep fakes, particularly in audio formats, pose challenges in recognizing and countering disinformation effectively.
Challenges in Tracking and Combatting Disinformation: Systemic Disruptions
The conversation highlights the limitations in tracking and combatting disinformation, exacerbated by decreased visibility into online platforms and communication channels like messaging apps. The panelists stress the critical need for oversight, transparency legislation, and increased collaboration to protect against spurious challenges and coordinated campaigns targeting researchers and information trackers.
Balancing Free Speech and Regulation: Social Media Accountability
The debate centers on striking a balance between free speech rights and social media regulation to address algorithmic biases, eliminate bots, and disclose the sources of paid political ads. Proposed solutions aim to mitigate disinformation effects by holding platforms accountable for curated content while upholding principles of editorial integrity and transparency.
“Flood the zone with shit.” It’s a zinger and a strategic imperative, from the oh-so-eloquent Steve Bannon, being expertly executed by Donald Trump and the MAGA-fied GOP.
To help us make sense of what our information morass means for the 2024 election, we’re joined by three political disinformation experts: Nina Jankowicz, a disinformation researcher, the former executive director of the Disinformation Governance Board at the Department of Homeland Security, and the author of "How To Lose the Information War"; Sasha Issenberg, a journalist and the author of five books, most recently, “The Lie Detectives”; and Barabara McQuade, a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan who teaches law at the University Michigan and recently authored “Attacks from Within.”
Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on social media. We’re on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher and @nayeemaraza