In his speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: “we’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic.” Social media platforms are flooded with false information, half-truths, and conspiracy theories, all of which shaped the online environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This, coupled with post-truth politics, Read More…
Tag: social media
From the Internet to Ashes: Disinformation and the Tigray War
What does war in the Tigray region show about the future of disinformation in ethnic and regional conflicts? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses the role of gas-lighting and other information warfare techniques in the Horn of Africa’s most recent outbreak of hostilities.
House of Cards: The Suspension of the US’ Disinformation Governance Board
Why did the US Disinformation Governance Board fail? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses the ill-fated US Department of Homeland Security initiative, and the implications for addressing disinformation within democracies.
No Child Left Behind? Education, Disinformation, and Media Literacy Classes
Do media literacy classes offer an effective policy solution to disinformation? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses the rise of media literacy classes in the US and Canada and their impact on countering the effects of deliberate falsehoods on young people.
Short Loops and Tall Tales: TikTok, Disinformation, and the New Face of War Reporting
Why has TikTok become a hub for disinformation during the Russo-Ukrainian War? In this article, Jack Burnham discusses the rise of the social media platform, its influence on the information space, and how it has reshaped war reporting.
Wolf Warrior Diplomacy: The Social Media Battlefield
As targeted social media campaigns work in support of political movements in China’s strategic and political goals, how is social media becoming a new NATO battlefield?
Accountability or Punishment? Recent Pew Research Centre study reveals how divided—and confused—society remains over ‘Cancel Culture’
In this article, Hailey Clarke analyzes the results of the Pew Research Centre’s study on ‘cancel culture’ and argues that ‘cancel culture,’ at large, reflects individuals’ reactions to the rapidly changing social norms within the U.S. and Canada.
Disinformation and Social Media: A Mutually Reinforcing and Iconic Duo
Since social media is the most prominent medium for disinformation campaigns aimed at Western audiences, Thomas Turmel examines the reasons behind this conscious choice made by foreign actors that reaches Canadians right in their homes.
Russian Disinformation and Social Movements: An Explosive Cocktail
With increasing foreign influence on social media, Thomas Turmel examines how Russia tries to influence social movements to pursue its political objectives and how to protect against this undue influence.
Was Twitter Right to Ban Donald Trump?
In this feature of the Editor’s Forum, the program editors at the NATO Association weigh in on whether banning Donald Trump from Twitter was the right decision.