DeepSummary
The transcript covers the topics of misinformation, disinformation, and the history of Russia employing these tactics as information warfare against the US, the West, and democracies. It explores the differences between misinformation and disinformation, and how they are spread through sensationalized news stories, social media, and other channels. The transcripts discusses the strategies Russia has used, such as the 'firehose of falsehood' model of rapid, continuous, high-volume dissemination of contradictory information across multiple platforms.
The episode also examines the impact of the fragmentation of media sources and the rise of social media, which has made it easier to spread misinformation and more difficult for traditional journalistic institutions to counter it effectively. It looks at the role of profit motives and algorithms in amplifying misinformation, as well as the challenges in combating it while respecting free speech principles.
Potential solutions are explored, such as improving media literacy, fact-checking, and regulation of social media platforms. However, the transcript acknowledges the deep-rooted nature of the problem and the difficulty in overcoming the psychological factors that make people susceptible to misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Misinformation refers to the unintentional spread of false information, while disinformation is the intentional dissemination of misleading information with malicious intent.
- Russia has a long history of employing disinformation campaigns as a form of information warfare against the US, the West, and democracies around the world.
- The 'firehose of falsehood' model used by Russia involves rapidly and continuously disseminating high volumes of contradictory information across multiple channels, without regard for consistency or objective truth.
- The fragmentation of media sources and the rise of social media have made it easier to spread misinformation and more difficult for traditional journalistic institutions to counter it effectively.
- Profit motives and algorithms employed by social media platforms can contribute to the amplification of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
- Potential solutions to combat misinformation include improving media literacy, fact-checking, and regulation of social media platforms, while respecting free speech principles.
- The underlying goal of misinformation campaigns is to create cynicism, uncertainty, and chaos, ultimately undermining faith in objective truth and democratic institutions.
- Overcoming the psychological factors that make people susceptible to misinformation and conspiracy theories is a significant challenge in combating the spread of false information.
Top Episodes Quotes
- โDisinformation is an intentional, misleading information. That is, the person that is posting or amplifying knows that the information is wrong and has malicious intent.โ by Speaker C
- โThe weaponization of misinformation is not new. As long as we've been talking and since the printing press has been, I did, we have been trafficking in lies and innuendo and sensationalism.โ by Speaker C
- โIf the Russians have high volume, first low volume and late after the fact isn't going to cut it. And following in that vein, put raincoats on those at whom the fire hose will be directed.โ by Christopher Paul
- โThe goal of post truth is to make people so cynical and just so uncertain and used to the chaos that they begin to believe that they really can't find the truth.โ by Lee C. McIntyre
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Episode Information
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
BestOfTheLeft.com
3/29/23
Original Air Date 3/16/2022
Today we take a look at the dynamics of mis- and disinformation as well as the history of those, primarily Russia, who are actively using it as a weapon of information warfare against the US, The West, and democracies around the world.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Are you Disinformed or Misinformed? - Harvard Data Science Review Podcast - Air Date 6-17-21
Harvard Data Science Review digs into the world of disinformation and misinformation, and the difference between them.
Ch. 2: Moving beyond news deserts and misinformation - Democracy Works - Air Date 2-14-22
Victor Pickard is the C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Democracy Without Journalism?
Ch. 3: Why "Cheap Speech" Threatens Democracy - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 3-5-22
Dahlia talks to Rick Hasen about his new book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politicsโand How to Cure It.
Ch. 4: The Firehose of Falsehood Effect - The Propwatch Project - Air Date 4-4-21
Dr. Christopher Paul, senior social scientist of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, discusses his seminal work on the "Firehose of Falsehood" propaganda model, going through its key components and explaining how each exploits facets of human heuristics.
Ch. 5: The long history of Russian disinformation targeting the U.S. - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 11-22-18
A recent New York Times video series explores the long history of Russian disinformation
Ch. 6: Post-Truth: Lee C. McIntyre - Future Hindsight - Air Date 5-14-20
Authoritarians use post-truth to corrupt our faith in the truth. The end goal is not to make citizens believe lies, but to make them so cynical and uncertain, they think they can never know the truth.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 9: Inside Estonia's approach in combating Russian disinformation - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 1-15-22
Russian disinformation is rife in countries formerly ruled from Moscow. Some ex-Soviet states have tried to suppress it altogether by banning Russian television stations and even limiting the use of the Russian language on their own domestic channels.
VOICEMAILS
Ch. 10: Seeking power from the right and left - Alex from Maryland Old
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on avoiding the nihilism strategy of the Underpants Gnomes
TAKE ACTION!
Media Literacy Now - Advocate for U.S. Media Literacy Bills at State Level (See Existing Media Literacy Bills and Laws)
Tools to Fight Disinformation:
List: Tools That Fight Disinformation Onlineย (RAND.org)
InVID - Browser plug in to help identify and verify shared videos and images
Hamilton 2.0 Dashboard - War in Ukraine (Disinformation tracker)
Orgs Fighting Disinformation:
Content Authenticity Initiative
Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity
Alliance for Securing Democracy
EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE
Short Docuseries: Operation InfeKtion (New York Times)
Book: โThe Misinformation Age: How False Beliefs Spreadโ by Calin OโConnor and James Owen Weatherall
Video Series: Crash Course Media Literacy
Training: First Draft News - Training
Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffmanย
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: In graphic form, the word "TRUTH" is angled and textured in red. A magnifying glass hovers over most of the letter "U" and the word "LIES" can be seen repeated in rows through the circular glass.
Credit: Original design on Pixabay / Changes: angled, text color, background color / Final by Amanda Hoffman