Disinformation from Russia was a big subject during the 2016 election for President of the United States, and 2020 is turning out to be no different. The US isn’t the only one dealing with this issue, in fact it’s a lively topic in former Soviet states all over Eastern Europe. Ukraine has gone so far as to ban a Russian-backed media organization, who responded by labeling it an attack on free speech.

But our guests say something has to be done to combat the power of state propaganda coming from one of the worlds savviest players.

Black Diplomats is hosted by Terrell J. Starr. Find out more about Terrell and listen to other episodes at our website.

Our guests this week are:

Shireen Mitchell

Shireen is an Internet pioneer and serial founder who was born and raised in the projects of New York City, playing video games before they could be played on televisions and designing BBS boards and gopher sites prior to the Web going world wide.

She is the founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women and an expert in digital voter suppression.

digitalsista.me

Maria Romanenko

Maria Romanenko is a Ukrainian-born British-educated writer, journalist, and certified life coach. She covers a wide range of topics from politics to culture, as well as produces a weekly TV show.

www.mariaromanenko.com

Nina Jankowicz

Nina Jankowicz studies the intersection of democracy and technology in Central and Eastern Europe. Her book, HOW TO LOSE THE INFORMATION WAR, was published by Bloomsbury's IBTauris in Summer 2020. Her writing has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, BuzzFeed News, The Wilson Quarterly, and others.

Nina Jankowicz at the Wilson Center