@katestarbird@mstdn.social

Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 39mo ago

In ~2014, my colleague & I argued that social media (esp. Twitter) had become part of the critical infrastructure of disaster response. People were turning to Twitter during crises to share information about impacts and resources. Disaster responders were using the data shared there for situational awareness, and were communicating in real-time with their constituents. Today’s events underscore just how dangerous it is for society to come to rely on private platforms as critical infrastructure.

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 46mo ago

As I'm reading the introduction to the January 6 report, one thing that strikes me is that, while the report recounts the Jan 6 committee's efforts to scrutinize social media platforms for what they didn't do to prevent the events of January 6 (e.g. the promotion of false narratives that motivated and then were used to mobilize participants), we are witnessing a parallel effort from the right to strategically frame the limited actions that platforms did take as "censorship".

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 37mo ago

Replying to

Here's a screenshot of the statement I gave to Joe Menn on September 12, 2023:

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 37mo ago

Replying to

"From discussions with my colleagues in the broader field of misinformation studies, and reflecting on the resolve I have witnessed among our students as well as the support we have received at the University of Washington, it's clear to me that researchers and their institutions won't be deterred by conspiracy theorists and those seeking to smear and silence this line of research for entirely political reasons.”

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 37mo ago

Replying to

"On September 8, a three-judge panel for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals bolstered the conclusion that Election Integrity Partnership researchers acted within our capacities as private parties and stripped away the provisions of a federal judge's previous injunction limiting our communications with the government, reaffirming our First Amendment rights to do this important work."

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 31mo ago

Our UW @uwcip@mastodon.ngo "rapid research" team examined the cross-platform dynamics of political influence — tracing how a single video (and its creator) garnered attention by tapping into prominent frames (among conservative influencers) of "rigged elections" and a "border crisis".
https://www.cip.uw.edu/2024/03/14/video-border-crisis-rigged-2024-election/

cip.uw.edu

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 37mo ago

Replying to

"At UW, we are currently developing plans and helping to put together a similar coalition to rapidly address harmful false rumors about the 2024 election. We believe this work is critical to protecting the democratic process by ensuring that people have access to accurate information about election processes, procedures, and results."

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 39mo ago

Come be part of our vibrant, multidisciplinary research community here at the @uwcip in Seattle! We're still seeking applications for our CIP Community Fellowship program.

We're looking for practitioners from a wide range of fields interested in exploring the intersection of research and professional experience through experiential learning and practical application.

Apply by July 15! Learn more: https://www.cip.uw.edu/community-fellowship/

cip.uw.edu

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 37mo ago

Replying to

“At UW, my colleagues, students, and I have been doing “rapid research” documenting social media use during crisis events and online rumors for more than a decade, and we continue to do that work. Our team at the UW Center for an Informed Public just issued a rapid research report on YouTube videos about the Maui wildfire earlier this month."

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 33mo ago

CIP's @mikecaulfield@mastodon.social examines unfounded allegations (spreading on X) of a "conflict of interest" in vote counting in the Iowa. Mike explains, "the real question is not whether the offered evidence is 'real,'" but whether the evidence supports the claims. https://www.cip.uw.edu/2024/01/14/iowa-caucus-election-conspiracy-theory/

cip.uw.edu

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 37mo ago

Replying to

"The Election Integrity Partnership, a loose coalition of academics and other researchers studying the spread of online mis- and disinformation, came together around the 2020 election to combat falsehoods about voting." (The Post mischaracterized our work as designed "to alert platofrms" but that was only a small part of the group's mission... my team was focused on public communication and outreach to journalists.)

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird@mstdn.social

· 34mo ago

The University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public is looking to hire up to two postdoctoral scholars for the coming year. We're looking for researchers from varied perspectives who study mis- and/or disinformation, online manipulation, and related topics. https://www.cip.uw.edu/2023/11/16/cip-seeking-applications-for-up-to-2-postdoctoral-scholars/

cip.uw.edu

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