Tag Archives: disinformation

Essay on role of online disinformation in Capitol Building invasion

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The US Capitol Building was overrun with pro-Trump insurrectionists on 6 January 2020

I have an essay in Human:Putting the Social into Science on the role of online disinformation and US President Donald Trump in the violent scenes at the US Capitol Building last week. I argue that the pro-Trump mob are a manifestation of an information crisis fed by Trump, which has created an alternative reality in which the unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud are believed to be true. I argue that political leaders should be wary of legitimising ‘fake news’ given that they may undermine trust in the institutions they purport to represent. Thanks to Laura Lightfinch and Victoria Wood for their help with this. The piece can be read here

Interviewed about Trump and social media conspiracy theories

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Image of protesters at Capitol Building, Washington D.C, 6 January 2021

Yesterday I was interviewed by Stephen Jones (Press Association) about Donald Trump’s role in amplifying disinformation about the 2020 US Presidential Election. We discussed a variety of issues, including the rise of the right-wing information ecosystem in the US, how social media companies like Facebook have responded to disinformation campaigns, and Trump’s use of online platforms to question the credibility of the 2020 US Election result.

Thanks to Stephen for the interview, which can be read in the following publications:

UK politicians warned after Trump ‘incites’ riots at Capitol building, Belfast Telegraph, 7 January 2021. 

UK politicians warned after Trump ‘incites’ riots at Capitol building, Express and Star, 7 January 2021. 

UK politicians warned after Trump ‘incites riots at Capitol building, Oxford Mail, 7 January 2021.

UK politicians warned after Trump ‘incites riots at Capitol building, Salford City News, 7 January 2021.

UK politicians warned after Trump ‘incites riots at Capitol building, The London Economic, 7 January 2021.

UK politicians warned after Trump ‘incites riots at Capitol building, Winsford Guardian, 7 January 2021.

Article on COVID-19 infodemic in France Forum

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I have had an article published in the most recent edition of France Forum. I argue that we all have a responsibility to verify information about COVID-19 before we share it online. I also suggest we should be wary of the misinformation about the pandemic shared by politicians, which has the potential to hamper efforts to flatten the curve.

Many thanks to Marc Foucault and Elisabeth Cazeaux for the invitation to write this piece. An English language version can be read below.

BBC Radio Sheffield interview on misinformation

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Social media companies have come under pressure to tackle COVID-19 misinformation

This morning I was interviewed by Toby Foster on BBC Radio Sheffield about the misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 circulating on social media. We talked about how we as citizens should respond to false and misleading information online and how governments and social media companies might take stronger action to address it.

Many thanks to Toby, Katie and Robert at BBC Radio Sheffield for their help with this- enjoyed it!

The interview can be listened to here

BBC Good Morning Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle media appearances

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Stop Hate for Profit 24 hour boycott of Facebook and Instagram

This morning I did a couple of radio interviews about US celebrities joining the Stop Hate for Profit boycott of Facebook and Instagram in order to force them to take stronger action against hate speech and disinformation. On BBC Good Morning Ulster, Naomh McElhatton and I discussed whether these boycotts were an effective way to raise awareness of this issue. The segment can be listened to here

On The Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Foyle, I spoke to Anna Curran about the issues raised by this campaign and how we can better regulate hate speech and disinformation. This interview can be listed to here

Thanks to Anne Jordan and Dean McLaughlin for the invitation.

BBC Hereford & Worcs interview on Russian disinformation on social media

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Screenshot 2020-07-22 at 08.07.17

This morning I was interviewed by Elliot Webb on BBC Hereford & Worcester’s Breakfast show. We discussed the impact of Russian disinformation campaigns on social mediaand whether the UK government needs to do more to regulate online platforms in light of the findings from the Russia report.

Many thanks to Elliot, Toni and the team. The interview can be listened to here

Book chapter on Digital media and disinformation in Northern Ireland

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Delighted to receive my copy of Disinformation and Digital Media as a challenge for Democracy this morning. My chapter ‘Digital Disinformation in a deeply divided society: reflections from Northern Ireland” draws on myresearch over two decades on how digital media is used to frame contentious politics in Northern Ireland. I argue that digital disinformation around contentious episodes are likely to thrive due to the failure of political elites to address conflict-legacy issues. I argue that the current genre of information disorders have much in common with the propaganda deployed by both elite and non-elite actors during the conflict.

The book can be purchased here.

Many thanks to Georgios Terzis, Dariusz Kloza, Elzbieta Kuzelewska, Daniel Trottier for editing this excellent contribution to an important field. 

 

 

 

Talk at Reportage Club, Documentary Media Centre, Leicester

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Delighted to be back in Leicester today for an ‘in conversation’ with John Coster as part of the Documentary Media Centre’s Reportage Club. We will discuss my ongoing work on digital media and political polarisation in Northern Ireland, in which I will draw on my work on information disorder and contentious parades and protests in the deeply divided society. Our session will kick off at 6.30pm in the DMM pop-up in Highcross (the unit opposite Costa Coffee on Shires Lane).

Thanks to John for the invite and also for sharing this reminder of my last appearance at the DMC- over 4 years ago!

 

 

Interviewed for Newsweek article on social media and ‘fake news’

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I was recently interviewed for an article in Newsweek that discussed recent research suggesting that people who held delusional views were more likely to believe false news stories shared on social media. Thanks to Kashmira Gander and Hannah Postles for their help with this.

The article can be accessed here

Presenting paper on Information Disorder in Northern Ireland at ICS Symposium

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This weekend I will be attending Locked out of Social Platforms: An ICS Symposium on Challenges to Studying Disinformation, at the IT University in Copenhagen, Denmark. Keynote speakers include Axel Bruns, Alice Marwick, Linda Dencik and Katrin Weller.

I will be presenting a paper entitled ‘Information Disorder in a deeply divided society: social media and contentious politics in Northern Ireland.’ It explores the continuities between the ‘propaganda war’ during the Troubles and the ways in which mis and disinformation circulates today through social media platforms. I will also discuss the media diets of citizens in the deeply divided society in order to explore resilience towards types of information disorder.

The programme for the symposium (which looks great!) can be found here