Friday, March 26, 2021

Nieman Lab: "The first challenge is data... The second is money"

"Social media disinformation discussions are going in circles. Here's how to change that."

"On Thursday, the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter will testify before Congress about online disinformation. Even before the gavel bangs, we can predict what will happen. Some members of Congress will demand that social media platforms do more to stop viral falsehoods from damaging democracy and triggering violence. Others will warn of needlessly restricting speech and say it could even inflame fringe elements and drive them to less-governed spaces.

This same argument repeats itself after every crisis, from Christchurch to QAnon to COVID-19. Why can’t we break the impasse? Because the debate about countering disinformation can itself be a fact-free zone: long on theories, short on evidence. We need better expertise, and that means empowering experts."
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Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Olena Poliakevych/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Olena Poliakevych/iStock/Getty Images Plus


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