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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d

Recently published work from colleagues Morgan Wack (postdoc at University of Zurich) & Joey Schafer (UW PhD candidate) showing how state election policies that delayed vote counting fueled rumoring and conspiracy theorizing around the 2020 election: blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

The 2020 US election shows how state election policies can fuel conspiracy theories about voting | USAPP

States that allowed pre-Election Day processing saw a reduction of over a third in expected misinformation compared to states with restrictive rules.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Aug 29

New study by @brendannyhan.bsky.social, @jasonreifler.bsky.social & colleagues demonstrates that prebunking election fraud rumors — by warning about anticipated false claims & filling conceptual gaps that those claims exploit — helps to reduce belief in falsehoods: www.science.org/content/arti...

Trust in elections rises after ‘inoculations’ meant to preempt false fraud claims

New U.S.-Brazil study points to ways of countering election misinformation, political scientists say

www.science.org

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Scott Radnitz @radnitz.bsky.social · Aug 20

What if conspiracy theories were taken to their logical endpoint and put into practice as a form of governance? @mertcanbayar.bsky.social and I explore this question in our new article on the conspiracist theory of power in @cogitatiopag.bsky.social.

www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandg...

The Conspiracist Theory of Power | Article | Politics and Governance

Mert Can Bayar, Scott Radnitz

www.cogitatiopress.com

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Aug 11

Check out "The persuasive potential of AI-paraphrased information at scale," an open-access article exploring "AIPasta," written by a team of @cip.uw.edu researchers led by @dashsaloni.bsky.social with co-authors @yiweixu.bsky.social, @maddyjalbert.bsky.social and @emmaspiro.bsky.social ⤵️

PNAS Nexus @pnasnexus.org · Aug 4

Repeating duplicated messages—known as CopyPasta—over and over online is a common misinformation strategy. Using AI to paraphrase the message, what the authors call “AIPasta,” could be even more effective at creating a false consensus. In PNAS Nexus: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Aug 5

Calo says that the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics unit doesn't have "anything like the capacity that the OTA had."

Read more in Fast Company: www.fastcompany.com/91378299/off...

Tech policy could be smarter and less partisan if Congress hadn’t shut down this innovative program

For years, the Office of Technology Assessment helped Congress see around corners on science and tech. Its 1995 shutdown left lawmakers flying blind.

www.fastcompany.com

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Aug 5

“It was an impartial repository of interdisciplinary experts who would proactively assist Congress in understanding emerging technology,” Calo said, “and to do so at a time early enough in its life cycle that it had not become full of special interests that had not grown around it, like barnacles.”

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Aug 5

In a recent @fastcompany.com interview, @cip.uw.edu co-founder @rcalo.bsky.social reflected on the Office of Technology Assessment, which Congress shuttered 30 years ago. www.fastcompany.com/91378299/off...

Tech policy could be smarter and less partisan if Congress hadn’t shut down this innovative program

For years, the Office of Technology Assessment helped Congress see around corners on science and tech. Its 1995 shutdown left lawmakers flying blind.

www.fastcompany.com

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Nina Lutz @ninalutz.bsky.social · Aug 2

Does your work explore mis/disinformation, scams, hate speech, or other forms of harmful information online?

We are convening a CSCW workshop to bring together a global community focused on information disorder. We welcome short submissions, due August 8th.

cscw2025infodisorder.netlify.app

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Saloni Dash @dashsaloni.bsky.social · Jul 24

Excited to announce that my paper "The persuasive potential of AI-paraphrased information at scale" with my wonderful collaborators @yiweixu.bsky.social, @maddyjalbert.bsky.social, and @emmaspiro.bsky.social has been published at PNAS Nexus!

Link: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...

The persuasive potential of AI-paraphrased information at scale

Abstract. In this article, we study how AI-paraphrased messages have the potential to amplify the persuasive impact and scale of information campaigns. Bui

academic.oup.com

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Scott Radnitz @radnitz.bsky.social · Jul 26

My article on the stakes around mis/disinformation controversies is finally out at @poppublicsphere.bsky.social.
It is the product of my work at @eui-schuman.bsky.social with support from @stephofmann.bsky.social and inspiration from @cip.uw.edu.

Perspectives on Politics @poppublicsphere.bsky.social · Jul 24

NOW OUT ON FIRSTVIEW!!

#Contesting #Authority to #Adjudicate #Misinformation

By @radnitz.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1017/S153...

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Jul 22

"There’s a pressing need for a generation of people who possess a technical understanding of the technology itself and also are informed about the methods and tools of regulation," @cip.uw.edu co-founder @rcalo.bsky.social said in an @ischool.uw.edu Q&A: ischool.uw.edu/news/2025/07...

Q&A: Ryan Calo on why 'we need to take a page from the Amish'

Ryan Calo holds a joint appointment as a professor in the Information School and as the Lane Powell and D. Wayne Gittinger Professor at the UW School of La...

ischool.uw.edu

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Joey Schafer @schafer.bsky.social · Jul 11

Proud to have co-led this paper with @morganwack.bsky.social (and other coauthors @ikennedy.bsky.social @beeeeeers.bsky.social @emmaspiro.bsky.social @katestarbird.bsky.social) looking at the impacts of state-level election laws on uncertainty and election integrity rumors!

Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Jul 11

Legislating Uncertainty: New paper about the 2020 election, showing how laws in certain states (specically laws that delayed the counting of mail-in ballots) increased uncertainty about election results and contributed to rumoring about election integrity: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

<em>Policy Studies Journal</em> | PSO Public Policy Journal | Wiley Online Library

Can state election policies affect the spread of misinformation? This paper studies the role played by ballot processing policies, which determine when ballots can be examined and organized, in the o...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Jun 30

Really excited to draw attention to this dissertation by Melinda McClure Haughey (@melm.cc‬). Melinda's research explored collaborative infrastructure for supporting the "sensemaking" work of journalists working on high-stakes, fast-paced & often data-driven beats. www.melm.cc/research/dis...

Melinda's Dissertation: Truth-Seeking as Collaborative Work

In moments of uncertainty, journalists help the public make sense. This research shows how that work depends on expert networks and systems that too often fail when they need to move fast and what it ...

www.melm.cc

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Jun 30

In @lawfaremedia.org, @cip.uw.edu graduate research assistants @ashlynba.bsky.social and @sprochas.bsky.social explore how "fringe election fraud rumors are becoming legal drama — weaponized lawsuits and policies that present fiction as fact on social media." www.lawfaremedia.org/article/how-...

How Strategic Litigation Feeds On and Fuels Political Narrative

Fringe election fraud rumors are becoming legal drama—weaponized lawsuits and policies that present fiction as fact on social media. 

www.lawfaremedia.org

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Jun 17

“The design of social media platforms facilitates and even incentivizes this kind of rumoring and political point-scoring in the wake of crisis events,” @cip.uw.edu co-founder @katestarbird.bsky.social said in an interview with @nbcnews.com. www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...

How Minnesota shooting conspiracy theories took over social media feeds

Before a suspect was ever named in the shootings, conspiracy theorists and opportunists jumped at the chance to blame their political opponents.

www.nbcnews.com

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Jun 9

In a @seattletimes.com opinion article, Danica Noble, a @cip.uw.edu community fellow and antitrust attorney, writes that Congress should not silence the states on AI oversight: "We need every tool available to protect ourselves as AI gets more powerful." www.seattletimes.com/opinion/we-n...

We need more AI oversight, not less | Op-Ed

The chance that states could be forbidden from regulating artificial intelligence is one that should alarm us all.

www.seattletimes.com

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Stacey Wedlake @staceyaw.bsky.social · May 30

Great opportunity for practitioners to learn and collaborate with academic partners on projects about resisting strategic misinformation, promoting an informed society, and strengthening democratic discourse.

Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28

Do you work in journalism, education, technology, librarianship, government, community organizing or law? We're currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort for our @cip.uw.edu Community Fellowship program. The application deadline is June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu/2025/05/27/c...

CIP accepting applications for Community Fellowship 2025-26 cohort

The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is accepting applications for the CIP Community Fellowship program’s 2025-26 cohort through June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · May 28

Our team at the UW Center for an Informed Public is recruiting for our next class of Community Fellows (for the 2025-2026 school year). Learn more about the program, apply, and/or pass our call along to folks you think might be a good fit for our next cohort!

Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28

Do you work in journalism, education, technology, librarianship, government, community organizing or law? We're currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort for our @cip.uw.edu Community Fellowship program. The application deadline is June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu/2025/05/27/c...

CIP accepting applications for Community Fellowship 2025-26 cohort

The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is accepting applications for the CIP Community Fellowship program’s 2025-26 cohort through June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28

For more details about the CIP Community Fellowship program, eligibility, qualifications, application requirements and key dates and timeline, check out our program page: www.cip.uw.edu/community-fe...

Community Fellowship

Visit the post for more.

www.cip.uw.edu

Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28

For the 2025-26 cohort, the Community Fellowship program is structured around two separate tracks: A project-based track and an educator cohort track designed for educators in Washington state, including those in K-12 schools, higher education and libraries.

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28

Launched in 2023, the Community Fellowship program fosters and grows a network of practitioners with the goal of building collaboration, sharing ideas, creating new initiatives and nurturing a more interconnected community that is passionate about the CIP’s mission.

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28

Do you work in journalism, education, technology, librarianship, government, community organizing or law? We're currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort for our @cip.uw.edu Community Fellowship program. The application deadline is June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu/2025/05/27/c...

CIP accepting applications for Community Fellowship 2025-26 cohort

The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is accepting applications for the CIP Community Fellowship program’s 2025-26 cohort through June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu

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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Apr 27

Thrilled to be at the CHI conference this week where PhD student @schafer.bsky.social will present our paper — co-authored w/ Rachel Moran (1st author) & @mertcanbayar.bsky.social — titled, "The End of Trust and Safety?" dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

The End of Trust and Safety?: Examining the Future of Content Moderation and Upheavals in Professional Online Safety Efforts | Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Syst...

dl.acm.org

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Apr 28

Although the internet is awash in phony movie trailers, “[i]t doesn’t matter if 99.999% of them never stick," West, an @ischool.uw.edu professor, said. "All you need is one to really take off.”

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Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · Apr 28

"If something sounds too good to be true or looks too good be true, it probably is," @cip.uw.edu co-founder @jevinwest.bsky.social told @washingtonpost.com in an article where he shared tips for being able to spot fake AI-generated movie trailers.

Gift link: wapo.st/3S8fRgi

Fake movie trailers were an art form. Then came the AI slop.

Fake movie trailers have been around for decades. But in the age of AI generators, are they still a delight of fans?

wapo.st

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