How the Right Launders Online Propaganda with Renée DiResta

On with Kara Swisher

New York Magazine

News Commentary, News, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Renée DiResta is one the world’s leading experts on online disinformation and propaganda and the author of the new book, Invisible Rulers, The People Who Turn Lies into Reality. About two months ago, DiResta found out her contract as the technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory would not be renewed. What’s more, the SIO, one of the foremost academic programs studying abuse online, would be essentially hollowed out. The university blames funding challenges, and says it has “not shut down or dismantled SIO as a result of outside pressure.” However, many journalists and fellow researchers suspect that political pressure from the right, including congressional hearings led by Rep. Jim Jordan and lawsuits from people like Stephen Miller, caused Stanford to cave. Kara and Renée discuss the drama at the SIO; Invisible Rulers; the coordinated effort by the right to target academic researchers who study online propaganda and disinformation; the larger strategy to push back against content moderation by social media platforms; and the role the platforms themselves and their CEOS (looking at you, Elon) play in this fight. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find Kara on Instagram/Threads as @karaswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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1:16.1	with Kara Swisher and I'm Kara Swisher. My guest today is Renee Deresta,
1:20.4	one of the world's leading experts on online disinformation and propaganda, and the former technical
1:25.8	research manager at Stamford's Internet Observatory, also known as SIO.
1:31.1	Stamford launched the SIO in order to investigate online abuse and the many ways that people
1:36.1	attempt to manipulate, harass, and target others online.
1:39.7	But early the summer, the university initiated its own quiet self-destruction after a storm of coordinated
1:44.4	congressional inquiries from that famous clown Jim Jordan and class action lawsuits by conservative groups,
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