Get ready for a special live edition of Wonks and War Rooms! From deep fakes to detecting disinformation or harassment to voting predictions and sentiment analysis, AI-enabled technologies are playing an increasing role in democratic election processes. Join us on April 3 at 12 p.m. ET for a roundtable discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in politics. Our host Elizabeth Dubois, and a panel of experts in the fields of politics, public policy, and new technologies will help break down how artificial intelligence is being deployed in Canadian political contexts. 

Find out more and register for this free event.

Guest panelists:

• Samantha Bradshaw (American University)
• Wendy Hui Kyong Chun (Simon Fraser University)
• Suzie Dunn (Dalhousie University)
• Fenwick McKelvey (Concordia University)
• Wendy H. Wong (UBC Okanagan)

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Becca Rinkevic is the Director of the Institute for Rebooting Social Media and formerly the Deputy Director of Digital Strategy at the White House under President Joe Biden. This week she and Elizabeth are tackling the role of big tech in election campaigns and political advertising. They talk about the involvement of representatives from social media companies in election advertising campaigns, the changes in these relationships before after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and what these relationships might look like in the future. They also talk about ways to report disinformation and harassment, guidelines around political advertising on social media, digital identities in the online environment, and the role of digital literacy.

Additional resources:

• Both Elizabeth and Becca mention Cambridge Analytica, a company that was hired by the Trump campaign in the run up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and subsequently found to have misused user data. A 2019 documentary, The Great Hack, was made about the events.
  
  
• Becca talks about the technique of social listening, a way of monitoring online information related to your brand to better understand what’s going on in that ecosystem.
  
  
• Becca mentions a Rebooting Social Media fellow—Elodie Vialle—who is developing an escalation channel for journalists to report harassment and attacks received on social media platforms. The project is still in the works, but keep your eye on the RSM website for further info.
  
  
• Elizabeth throws back to our last episode on the Meta Oversight Board with Julie Owono. Find it here.
  
  
• Becca mentions this political ad tracker created by Bully Pulpit Interactive, where she used to work as Director of Political Programs.
  
  
• Becca notes that both Facebook and Google have parameters around political advertising on their platforms. Find out more about Facebook policies here and Google policies here.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Julie Owono is the executive director of Internet Sans Frontières (Internet Without Borders) and a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. She is also an inaugural member of the Meta Oversight Board, an independent group of experts who review appeals of content moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram, which is the topic of today’s episode. 

Elizabeth and Julie talk about the background of the board and the appeals process, how cases are chosen, the possibilities and limits of what can be accomplished with content moderation, and the lesson Julie has learned in her time serving on the board. They also discuss what counts as content moderation and who gets to be involved in that process, the paradox of tolerance and where the line is drawn when it comes to limiting people’s freedoms of expression.

Additional resources:

• Off the top Elizabeth references two previous episodes that set the scene for this episode: Content Moderation with Andrew Straight and Regulating Big Tech with Taylor Owen.
• You can find the Meta Oversight Board website here, including a description of the appeals process, the decisions made to date, and board member bios.
• This 2022 article by David Wong and Luciano Floridi takes an academic look at the OB, assessing its strengths and weaknesses, and suggesting improvements.
• Julie explains some of the principles around how the board chooses which cases to review, and the Case Selection Committee that makes those decisions, which are documented in the Rulebook for Case Review and Policy Guidance.
• Julie mentions two specific cases: the Kurdistan Workers Party and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
• Elizabeth introduces Karl Popper’s Paradox of Intolerance, introduced in his 1945 book The Open Society and its Enemies. We relied on this 2015 paper by Brett G. Johnson, which applies tolerance theory to extreme speech and social media platforms.
• Julie mentions the implementation committee, and the tracking being done to capture how the OB’s recommendations are being operationalized. You can find out more in the Oversight Board’s Annual Report, Meta's Quarterly Reports and on the Meta's Transparency Centre page.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Juliana Castro-Varón is the founder of the digital open access publisher Cita Press, and a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. This episode she and Elizabeth discuss the historical examples of image manipulation, how photographic manipulations can mislead the public and the impact of images on our memories. They also talk about ways to spot fakes.

Additional resources

• Early in the episode Juliana mentions this article about Photoshop in The Verge about the history of this photo editing software.
• Juli talks about one of the very first known examples of image manipulation - a composite photograph of Abraham Lincoln’s head superimposed on someone else’s body. Here it is.
  • Factcheck: In the episode Juliana incorrectly notes Abraham Lincoln’s year of death — the U.S. president was assassinated in April 1865. This date also precedes Thomas Hick’s photo composition of Lincoln, which is generally agreed to have been done after his death, rather than as part of an election campaign.
• Juliana tells us about the photographer, William Mumler, who made ghost images using the technique of double exposure. They also talk about his trial - he was arrested for fraud - and acquittal. This other article also takes a broader look at the history of ‘ghost photography.’
• Both Elizabeth and Juliana mention deep fakes and AI manipulation several times - this is a topic that will take a full episode sometime, but for now here’s a good introduction.
• Juliana references this article — Changing history: doctored photographs affect memory for past public events (Sacchi, Agnoli & Loftus, 2007) — about the impact of images on our memories, and Elizabeth noted there have been a number of studies in this area. 
• Juliana notes that one of the concerns about AI-generated images is that they draw on currently existing archives of information, which tend to be dominated by western cultures. Here’s an interesting look at what happens because of this.
• Finally, Elizabeth asks what we can do about image manipulation, and Juli suggests that understanding the technologies and the techniques at play is the most useful strategy. Here’s a few tips and tools that help uncover manipulated images:
  • Image Edited
  • Tin Eye Reverse Image Search
  • The hidden signs that can reveal a fake photo (BBC, 2017)

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Petra Molnar is a lawyer and anthropologist, and co-director of York University’s Refugee Law Lab. This episode she and Elizabeth talk about how researchers get their expertise into the hands of people who shape the world we live in, like policymakers, politicians and journalists. They talk about what it means to know something, as well as different approaches to sharing knowledge, like co-production and co-learning. They also consider the power imbalances of knowledge and how to make sure that knowledge is being shared equitably, and inclusively.

Additional resources:

• One of the academic papers we used to prepare for this episode is Paul Cairney and Kathryn Oliver’s (2020). How Should Academics Engage in Policymaking to Achieve Impact? Check it out here.
  
  
• Off the top, Elizabeth mentions SSHRC, which provides a bunch of information on knowledge mobilization (or KM) for researchers. Here’s what they say about effective KM.
  
  
• Elizabeth also talks about the idea of co-production and Petra further mentions co-learning. This cool graphic from Michelle Lokot’s paper on research in humanitarian settings, shows a number of components that could be part of co-production (FYI there isn’t just one way!)
  
  
• Petra mentions participatory action research. Find out more here.
  
  
• Elizabeth suggests that part of the work of knowledge mobilization is teaching people about knowledge itself, about how you know if knowledge is valid or if the evidence is reliable. If you want to know more, try this crash course on The Meaning of Knowledge.
  
  
• Petra mentions that she takes a “transgressive approach” in her work. Take a look at this short video to find out. 
  
  
• Petra mentions that part of the work she does is related to the “de-centralization of knowledge.” What does that mean and why does it matter?
  
  
• Petra mentions the EU’s current drafting of legislation to regulate AI, and her related work technology and border issues. Here’s more on that.
  
  
• Petra mentions that she takes a trauma-informed perspective in her work. Take a look at this guide from Western University on Trauma- And Violence-Informed Research. 

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Get ready for Season 5 of Wonks & War Rooms! This season we’ll be diving into tech, politics, and policy. Host Elizabeth Dubois will talk to public policy managers, technologists &  campaigners to discuss how technology policy is shaped, how technology is used in political campaigns, and what that means for political communication research and practice.

As always, episodes will drop on Wednesday mornings each week starting Wednesday, February 8. Mark your calendars!

Get caught up on past episodes and find fully annotated transcripts in English and French at https://www.polcommtech.com/. 

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Vinita Srivastava is the senior editor of culture and society for The Conversation Canada, and host of the podcast Don’t Call Me Resilient, as well as a research associate with the Global Journalism Innovation Lab. This episode, Vinita and Elizabeth chat about post-truth politics and the idea that how people feel about information is sometimes more influential than the actual facts. They discuss differences between the facts contained in a story versus the perspective of who is telling a story, as well as the question of which stories get told, who gets to decide that, and the idea of truth as a product of power. 

Additional Resources

• Elizabeth notes that “post-truth” was Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year in 2016. This Washington Post story explains why (and also gives a good overview of the term). 
• Elizabeth mentions that a key feature of a post-truth world is that there are no longer “universally recognized arbiters or referees of fact.” This idea comes from David Roberts’ 2013 post on Grist. There is also general consensus that Roberts coined the term “post-truth politics” in this earlier post.
• For a more academic take, philosopher Lee McIntyre wrote a book called Post-Truth. Here’s a 2020 interview with him.
• Also, this article by Matt Carlson looks at how the concept of post-truth politics affects journalism specifically.
• Elizabeth brings up the concept of the “relativization of facts.” Learn more about that in this article by Sebastien Schindler.
• Vinita gives an example of how India’s press is being muzzled by its government. Reporters Without Borders generates an annual World Press Freedom Index to track where press freedoms are being violated and how. (India ranked 142 of 180 in 2020; Canada was 14th and the U.S. was 44th).
• Vinita brings up the old adage that journalism is “the first draft of history.” Here’s the backstory of that saying.
• Elizabeth talks about how emotion is a big part of mis and dis information. Check out this study that showed how anger contributes to the spread of misinformation. This was also something Claire Wardle talked about in her episode earlier this season on information disorder. Listen here.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Taylor Owen is a professor of public policy at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill university, and his research focuses mainly on tech regulation. This episode, he and Elizabeth define and categorize types of regulation. They discuss what tech regulation looks like, how lobbying impacts tech regulation, why regulation of tech is difficult, and the balance governments (both in Canada and internationally) must grapple with between regulation options and public good. This episode, recorded in January 2022, does not explore current legislation or the nitty gritty of the regulatory options. However, Elizabeth and Taylor provide the background  for understanding what the options are and why regulation and self-regulation happen.

Additional Resources

• Elizabeth draws on this article to form her list of types of regulation
• Taylor mentions how many of these big tech companies are so many things, making them difficult to regulate. He uses the example of facebook launching a digital currency and Amazon launching health care services.  
• Taylor and Elizabeth discuss Canada’s tech lobby. Here is an article (from former Wonks and War Rooms guest Megan Beretta) that further delves into how tech lobbying shapes federal policy.
• Elizabeth and Taylor address Canada’s online harms bill. This article gives an overview of the status of that bill. This page also gives an overview of the steps the government is taking to address online harms (including the creation of the advisory committee which Taylor was recently appointed to).
• Taylor mentions the EU’s Digital Service Act as a model that focuses on risk assessment. This article gives an overview of that legislation. 
• Want to hear more from Taylor? Check out his podcast Big Tech.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

This episode is an audio version of a special live taping of Wonks and War Rooms, in partnership with uOttawa’s Centre for Law, Technology and Society, where Elizabeth is joined by a panel of journalists to tackle a tough topic: online harassment of journalists and what it means for our democracy. 

Rosemary Barton is the Chief Political Correspondent for CBC News; Fatima Syed is a reporter for the Narwhal and host of Canadaland podcast The Backbench; and Mark Blackburn is the social media and online producer at APTN. Elizabeth and the panel look at different types of online negativity, the motivations behind harassment and attacks, and the impacts of weaponizing media. They also talk about different ways of managing online harassment, and how to balance their responsibilities as journalists with protecting themselves as individuals.

Additional Resources

• Off the top, Rosemary and Elizabeth mention the day of the live event was not exactly a slow news day. Here’s why. 
• This topic brings a bunch of terms that get jumbled together: harassment, abuse, toxicity, negativity, incivility, hate speech, intolerance. This Public Policy Forum report provides a framework for thinking about harmful communication online.
• Fatima talks about “chilling effects” that online harassment can have on journalists. Here’s a report from earlier this year about these kinds of impacts, published by The Canadian Journalism Foundation and the Canadian Association of Journalists.
• Also, last fall IPSOS ran the first Canadian survey on online harassment against journalists and media professionals, which showed it is “prevalent and pervasive.” Here are the results.
• Rosemary and Elizabeth discuss trolling and how it has changed over time. This article by Silvio Waisbord looks at the specific impact trolls have on journalism.
• Rosemary mentions that the pandemic has been a turning point for journalism. This special issue of Digital Journalism has a collection of articles on all the ways that COVID-19 has impacted the work of journalists over the past few years.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Riyadh Nazerally is the Director of Communications for the Hon. Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and is the former Director of Communications for Capital Pride in Ottawa. This week he and Elizabeth discuss the backfire effect and its three types: familiarity, overkill and worldview. They talk about how to understand and handle the backfire effect when it happens. Riyadh explains how comms and policy teams figure out how much information to send, who to send it to, and when. 

Additional resources:

• Elizabeth uses this article from Lewandowsky and this article from Peter & Koch for  academic definition of backfire effect 
• Early in the episode Riyadh mentions the book Weapons of Math Disruption by Cathy O’Neil — here is a review that summarizes what it’s all about.
• Elizabeth also mentions last week’s rebroadcast episode about Echo Chambers and Filter Bubbles with Adi Rao.
• The term “information overload” is used in this episode. Here is an interesting article with simple tips on how to deal with information overload. 
• Riyadh discusses the benefits of use of infographics to make information more accessible. Linking to the theme of the season, however, this post shows how infographics can easily be used to spread misinformation.
• Riyadh leaves us with this useful tip for communication strategies: “Would your mother understand this and are you pissing off a stakeholder?”

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.

Check out www.polcommtech.ca for annotated transcripts of this episode in English and French.