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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

@ubcdemocracy.bsky.social

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Understanding the past. Analyzing the present. Training for the future.

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Mar 19

Local governments play a key role in climate action—but today’s complex info landscape makes it harder to develop and implement effective policies. 🌍🏙️🪴

CSDI’s new report, “𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬” explores the path forward.

🔗 𝑭𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕: democracy.ubc.ca/featured/mun...

Municipal Matters: Building Capacity for Local Climate Conversations - Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

This report examines the challenges of communication around local climate action

democracy.ubc.ca

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · 14d

@heiditworek.bsky.social discusses the undulation of communication technologies and their ability to both attract and oppose the energy of globalization in @globaldiscnct.bsky.social's recent volume.

Find Heidi's chapter and the entire open-access collection: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

Dis:connectivity and Globalisation

Globalisation is one of the most contested concepts of our time. From its promise of borderless flows of people, goods, and finance in the 1990s, it embodies today almost the opposite: deglobalisation...

www.degruyterbrill.com

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · 23d

🎧 Looking for a great audio interview?

CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social spoke to KKFI Radio about the modern communication landscape, what we can learn from media trends of the past, and much more. kkfi.org/program-epis...

News from Germany 1900-1945 and implications for today • KKFI

University of British Columbia history professor Heidi J.S. Tworek1 discusses her research on the impact of the media on politics in Germany focusing especially in 1900 through 1945 and its […]

kkfi.org

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · 28d

We are delighted to welcome our @apsa.bsky.social colleagues to Vancouver this week! Today, CSDI is co-convening a pre-APSA conference on Technology and the Future of Democracy, including tabletop exercises simulating election threats and responses. www.electoralintegrityproject.com/vancouver-20...

2025 Vancouver Pre-APSA — The Electoral Integrity Project EIP

www.electoralintegrityproject.com

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · 29d

Some of our findings include:
-Elections BC remains highly trusted
-Online political discourse was polarized with distinct partisan divides across social media platforms
-No evidence of foreign information manipulation during the election
-Declining ability to identify and trust reliable information

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · 29d

CSDI is thrilled to announce the publication of our collaborative research with @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social studying the B.C. information environment during the 2024 provincial election! Read the full report ⬇️
meo.ca/work/british...

British Columbia Election Information Ecosystem Project — Media Ecosystem Observatory

August 2025 — The British Columbia Election Information Ecosystem Project set out to evaluate the dynamics of mis- and disinformation, media platform influence, foreign interference concerns, and publ...

meo.ca

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Reposted by UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

UBC News @news.ubc.ca · Sep 3

Dr. Chris Tenove (@cjten.bsky.social @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social) said the Trump administration is a "major counterforce" in international efforts to regulate online harm.

via @cdnpress.bsky.social

AI chatbots changing online threat landscape as Ottawa reviews legislation

OTTAWA - Wrongful death lawsuits citing the activities of artificial intelligence chatbots are underway in the United States, as reports emerge of mental health issues and delusions induced by AI

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Sep 3

Congratulations to @marcozenone.bsky.social on joining the @uottawa.ca as an Assistant Professor. His scholarship greatly enriched CSDI’s work, and we thank him for being a valued member of our community. Looking forward to future collaborations and to more of his great research!

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Aug 13

Loneliness is a serious public health issue that has worsened amongst young people. CSDI Postdoctoral Fellow @marcozenone.bsky.social's recent research analyzes the role TikTok plays as a forum for expressing loneliness and how modern isolation is portrayed online. academic.oup.com/heapro/artic...

Feeling lonely in the online crowd: what TikTok tells us about young people and loneliness

Abstract. Loneliness is a pressing public health issue, with young people particularly affected. Given the widespread use of TikTok among younger demograph

academic.oup.com

Reposted by UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · Aug 11

Google says AI Overviews “highlight the web” rather than replace it. But Cameron Pattison, Vance Ricks & John P. Wihbey see potentially profound political, social, and economic impacts. It's an open question if AI-powered search will be a tool for enlightenment or a mechanism for epistemic capture.

How AI-Driven Search May Reshape Democracy, Economics, and Human Agency | TechPolicy.Press

Cameron Pattison, Vance Ricks, and John P. Wihbey see differences in kind, as well as in degree, from the pre-generative model-based online search environment.

www.techpolicy.press

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jul 31

🎉Congratulations to CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social, who was recently elected as a fellow of the @royalhistsoc.org! RHS is an international community of historians working to promote an understanding of history.

👏We're proud of Heidi and her ongoing advocacy!

🔗Learn more: royalhistsoc.org

The Royal Historical Society

The foremost society in the UK working with professional historians and advancing the scholarly study of the past. Working for history and historians.

royalhistsoc.org

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jul 28

⚠️@heiditworek.bsky.social and @cjten.bsky.social recently presented to the BC Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform - using research from collaboration with @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social. @maxcameron.bsky.social, former CSDI Director, also testified.
🔗See more: www.leg.bc.ca/parliamentar...

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jul 22

Research Assistant Spotlight: Social media manipulation has become a recurring concern in modern elections. Former CSDI research assistant Milan Wiertz discusses where this trend could lead in @techpolicypress.bsky.social www.techpolicy.press/online-elect...

Online Election Manipulation Is a Challenge for Democracy. It’s About to Get a Whole Lot Worse. | TechPolicy.Press

Claims by platforms that they could self-regulate were never credible; now, they lie in tatters, writes Milan Wiertz.

www.techpolicy.press

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jul 18

@heiditworek.bsky.social features in a @financialtimes.com article breaking down the surge in online abuse of women business leaders and what can be done to address the special threat' from trolls online.

Read here: www.ft.com/content/3190...

Women business leaders face surge in online abuse

The ‘special threat’ from male trolls online means it is essential to form a plan of action for when harassment starts

www.ft.com

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jul 11

Canada’s digital sovereignty (or lack thereof) is a growing concern. @heiditworek.bsky.social and @lageneralista.ca argue that to build an independent tech 'CanStack', policymakers need to start with a full assessment of the information ecosystem. www.cigionline.org/articles/how...

How to Confront Canada’s Digital Dependence

Even a cursory glance at Canada’s digital providers exposes substantial reliance on foreign firms.

www.cigionline.org

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 30

Learnings from the past are often the best way to understand the issues of the present.

Historian and CSDI Director @heiditworek.bsky.social discusses the not-so-novel nature of disinformation and how we can build trust in our current moment.
www.arts.ubc.ca/news/how-to-...

How to fight disinformation, according to a historian of media - Faculty of Arts

Disinformation is nothing new. Here's how to fight it, according to Prof. Heidi Tworek, director of UBC's Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions.

www.arts.ubc.ca

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 27

⚠️ Event Announcement!

Have People Stopped Listening to Expertise?

🔬Join Lars Thorup Larsen from @au.dk for a discussion about the erosion of trust in established science and what that might mean for liberal democracy.

✍️RSVP via QR code or at sppga.ubc.ca/events!

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 26

⚠️How can policymakers and civil society combat climate disinformation and misinformation in our information ecosystems?

🌍International Panel on the Information Environment report on new global trends: www.ipie.info/research/sr2...

🇨🇦CSDI report on local approaches: democracy.ubc.ca/publications...

Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review

Synthesis Report - Information Integrity about Climate Science: A Systematic Review

www.ipie.info

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 20

🇨🇦As Canada forges new AI policy, read the CSDI's 'Harmful Hallucinations: Generative AI and Elections' report to understand how AI challenges our elections and information systems.

🗞️Analysis by @Anja Karadeglija: www.stalbertgazette.com/science-news...

🔗Report: democracy.ubc.ca/publications...

New AI minister says Canada won’t ‘over-index’ on AI regulation

OTTAWA — Canada's new minister of artificial intelligence said Tuesday he'll put less emphasis on AI regulation and more on finding ways to harness the technology's economic benefits.

www.stalbertgazette.com

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 18

CSDI's @Marco Zenone and the University of Alberta's @ Alessandro Marcon highlight the dangerous increase of exploitative ads promoting alternative cancer treatments.

📖Learn more in the @ca.theconversation.com :

theconversation.com/google-searc...

Google searches for information about cancer lead to targeted ads from alternative clinics

Alternative cancer clinics spent over an US$15 million on Google ad spaces, generating millions of website visits from people searching for cancer information.

theconversation.com

Reposted by UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

Centre for Media, Technology & Democracy @mediatechdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 11

What’s weakening Canada’s information ecosystem, and what does it mean for our democracy? @abridgman.bsky.social presented new findings from @meo-cdmrn.bsky.social on disinformation, polarization, and media trust in the wake of the 2025 election.

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 9

CSDI looks forward to joining the Partnering in Research Conference and leading the 'Transformative Approaches to Protecting Researchers and Communities from Online Harassment' workshop on June 12th.

Read more about the session and the conference program:
communityengagement.ubc.ca/events/2025-...

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · Jun 6

@heiditworek.bsky.social and @lageneralista.ca argue that we should think about a public option for social media.

Read more about why and what that could look like!
www.hilltimes.com/story/2025/0...

A public alternative to social media

It is increasingly clear that private social media companies’ values do not align with maintaining a vibrant information ecosystem.

www.hilltimes.com

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UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · May 23

What happens when war moves from borders to feeds?

In a new piece for @thediplomat.com , CSDI's Nishtha Gupta (@krantinari.bsky.social) traces the digital fallout of the India-Pakistan crisis—from misinfo & algorithmic rage to performative nationalism.

📖 Read: thediplomat.com/2025/05/when...

When India and Pakistan Went to War – Online

The rise of digital warriors adds a worrying dynamic to India-Pakistan conflict.

thediplomat.com

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · May 22

Are our democracies built for the 21st century?

Six UBC experts, including CSDI’s Chris Tenove, provide their perspectives on the challenges facing modern democracies and the grievances that may tempt citizens to question our traditional institutions.
magazine.alumni.ubc.ca/2025/spring-...

How should democracies adapt for the 21st century?

magazine.alumni.ubc.ca

UBC Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions @ubcdemocracy.bsky.social · May 12

A new Conservative email claims Liberals are “tipping the scales.” CSDI’s Chris Tenove (@cjten.bsky.social) tells CBC this kind of rhetoric risks fueling distrust—even as most Canadians still trust the results.

🔗 Read: www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Conservative fundraising email suggests Liberals trying to 'tip the scales' in recounts | CBC News

A Conservative Party fundraising email alleges the Liberals are trying to "tip the scales" in riding recounts, language political watchers say is concerning as some Canadians say they don't trust the ...

www.cbc.ca

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