What Each of Us Can Do to Defeat Disinformation

The Tyee
We live in an age of widespread public deception, where aggressive forms of narrative manipulation spread despair and undermine trust in the commons.

Disinformation entrepreneurs harass and intimidate scientists in an attempt to silence them.

They create noise and stir up misdirected public outrage.

During elections like Canada’s ending this week, a shadow war of false information rages on the internet, polluting our political discourse. Even after the winner is announced, we may see efforts to falsely sow mistrust in the voting process, further damaging faith in our collective ability to choose how we are governed.

For a forthcoming book titled Silencing Science, I and a colleague, Mark Shakespear, spent months speaking to experts about how to counter disinformation rooted in conspiracy theories, violent anti-government and anti-expert ideology, and flawed views of freedom and democracy.

With all the swirling lies, tribalism and name-calling around us, how do we begin to communicate and reconnect authentically again?

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ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT

TIKTOK: New Measures to Safeguard Election Integrity in Romania—But Critics Raise Concerns About Timing and Effectiveness

CNN: Concerned about US vaccine misinformation and access, public health experts start Vaccine Integrity Project

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As National Security Guardrails Vanish, U.S. Adversaries Given More Room to Operate in Disinformation Space