Mona welcomes Renée DiResta to discuss how social media has distorted our perceptions and how to navigates the world of influencers, online mobs, and lairs.

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References:

Books & Authors:

"Invisible Rulers" – by Renée DiResta (Main topic of discussion)

Father Coughlin & Propaganda (1930s) – Discussion of his use of radio for anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi propaganda, and how he was eventually stopped.

Institute for Propaganda Analysis (1930s) – Early efforts to combat misinformation by teaching people how propaganda works.

Helen Lewis (The Atlantic) – Quoted for stating that “the internet is built to empower extremophiles.”

Google's Assertive Provenance Report – Discussion of how Google suggests approaches for watermarking and authenticating AI-generated content.

Iowa Caucuses (2012 vs. 2020) – How political narratives and distrust in election results evolved.

Measles Outbreak & Anti-Vaccine Misinformation – How misinformation spreads and how online movements gain traction.

Algorithmic Influence & Content Curation – The role of algorithms in shaping political extremism and public perceptions.

QAnon & Wayfair Conspiracy Theory – How misinformation led to real-world harassment and threats.

COVID-19 & Public Trust in Institutions – How institutional silence and slow responses allowed misinformation to fill the gap.

Decline of Trust in Experts – How institutions and scientists need to engage more effectively online.

Influencers & Audience Capture – How social media personalities can be driven toward extremism by audience demands.

Pre-bunking – Educating people in advance about misinformation tactics.

Adding Friction – Using design interventions (like Twitter’s “Are you sure you want to share this?”) to slow down misinformation.

Virality Circuit Breakers – Temporary restrictions on the spread of viral misinformation while it is fact-checked.

Watermarking AI-generated Content – Challenges and limitations in identifying AI-created media.

Institutional Preparedness – Advice for organizations on handling misinformation crises.