Unchecked: The architecture of disinformation

Send us a textSYNOPSISDana Chisnell joins Dan and Rachel to talk about information in civic tech. Dana discusses her experience with voting systems, immigration, and homeland security. New executive orders on communicating about people directly affected Dana’s job. She explains her rationale for stepping down from her executive position. Rachel coins the lens “#influencers” and Dan describes the lens “Messaging.”STORIES OF DISINFORMATIONThe AIDS crisisDan’s son was in a musical called Falsettos and it brought back many memories about growing up in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s.AIDS denialism (Wikipedia)Panic, Paranoia, and Public Health – The AIDS Epidemic’s Lessons for Ebola (New England Journal of Medicine)Falsettos at Lincoln Center (YouTube)Salmon fishing in the Pacific NorthwestRachel notes a mainstream use of the term “misinformation” in, of all places, a local controversy over salmon fishing.Northwest Indigenous leaders recommit to alliance to bolster salmon recovery (Bellingham Herald)Bellingham’s SE Alaska salmon fleet threatened by lawsuits, misinformation (Cascadia Daily News) INTERVIEW WITH DANA CHISNELLDana ChisnellPlain Language Makes a Difference When People Vote (Journal of User Experience)Resettling Afghan refugees (DOD archive)Executive Order 14035: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce (Federal Register)Office of Homeland Security StatisticsLENSES#InfluencersInformation spaces rely on “elders” or authorities to give information merit. Designing a system needs to acknowledge that influencers have long been part of information spaces, even before they were digital.How does the system rely on influencers?How does the system enable influencers without giving them too much power?MessagingMicrocontent in systems are meant to guide users and we’ve long focused on the the clarity and usability. In modern interconnected information environments even the smallest misunderstanding can snowball into full-fledged misinformation.How might microcopy spawn misinformation?What might people extrapolate from otherwise simple or harmless system messages?Ask yourself: What if someone posts this _____________________________________________________ Personnel Dan Brown, Host Rachel Price, Host Emily Duncan, Editor Music Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

Send us a textSYNOPSISRachel and Dan talk to Dr. Adam Ratner, author of the new book Booster Shots, about the misinformation he encounters as a pediatric infectious disease specialist. We discuss the distinctions between vaccine hesitancy and being anti-vax, and how misinformation has an impact beyond individual healthcare. Dan uses the discussion to highlight a new “lens” called double-tagging, and Rachel is inspired to establish the lens “frenzy.”__________STORIES OF DISINFORMATIONThe Fifth ColumnRachel describes how the US used the fictional threat of a “fifth column” to bolster their argument for Japanese internment camps.A Brief History of Japanese American Relocation During World War II (National Park Service)How a Public Media Campaign Led to Japanese Incarceration during WWII (GBH - American Experience)Of Spies and G-Men: How the U.S. Government Turned Japanese Americans into Enemies of the State (densho.org)Reciprocal TariffsDan highlights some of the more subtle and insidious misinformation about Trump’s tariffs.Trade deficits and truth deficits (Julian Sanchez)PBS interview of Justin WolfersJake Tapper interview of Ag secretary Rollins__________INTERVIEW WITH DR ADAM RATNERDr. Adam RatnerAdam’s book: Booster Shots: The Urgent Lesson of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children’s Health2019 measles outbreak in New York City (New England Journal of Medicine)Brooklyn measles outbreak: How a glossy booklet spread anti-vaccine messages in Orthodox Jewish communities (NBC News)__________LENSESDouble-taggingSeemingly innocuous labels can be turned into misinformation by applying them in a way that is technically accurate, but twists the meaning of the label. Tagging anti-vax information with the label “vaccines” is misleading, and undermines the integrity of the system.How might tags and classification schemes be co-opted to threaten the system’s integrity?How does the system’s classification scheme adapt to deal with neutral terms that have become loaded?FrenzyInformation systems have a responsibility to help users understand what’s truly important and/or urgent. Systems must avoid contributing to the frenzy of information.How does the system help participants prioritize without causing a fre_____________________________________________________ Personnel Dan Brown, Host Rachel Price, Host Emily Duncan, Editor Music Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

Cyd Harrell, author and civic tech expert based in San Francisco, dives into the critical challenges of providing accurate, accessible information in government. The conversation explores how technology can foster civic responsibility while navigating the pitfalls of disinformation. Highlights include the concept of accuracy as a spectrum and the importance of accountability in validating information sources. Cyd also shares insights from her book about improving transparency in government communication, emphasizing the need for user-friendly interfaces.

This week features Susannah Fox, author of Rebel Health, who studies the intersection of technology and healthcare. She dives deep into how disinformation permeates patient communities and explores the importance of creating transparent information ecosystems. Fox discusses the challenges of misdirection in healthcare narratives and emphasizes empowering communities to regulate the accuracy of shared information. With insights on the evolution of digital healthcare dynamics, she highlights the need for collective engagement to combat misinformation.

Dive into the urgent landscape of disinformation, where historical cases like the 1918 flu pandemic reveal the dangers of misinformation. Explore the chaos of the Los Angeles wildfires and how crises fuel false narratives. Discover the critical need for source verification, and learn how technology both empowers and complicates information sharing. The hosts emphasize the importance of information architecture in combating misleading narratives and call for innovative strategies to navigate this complex information jungle.