Our Social Media 'Bespoke Realities'

Feb 10, 2025

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Mona welcomes Renée DiResta to discuss how social media has distorted our perceptions and how to navigates the world of influencers, online mobs, and lairs.

The Mona Charen Show is a weekly, one-on-one discussion that goes in depth on political and cultural topics. Ad-free editions are exclusively available for Bulwark+ members. Add the show to your player of choice, here, or find it wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Not yet a member? Join The Bulwark today!

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References:

Books & Authors:

"Invisible Rulers" – by Renée DiResta (Main topic of discussion)

Historical References:

Father Coughlin & Propaganda (1930s) – Discussion of his use of radio for anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi propaganda, and how he was eventually stopped.
Institute for Propaganda Analysis (1930s) – Early efforts to combat misinformation by teaching people how propaganda works.

Academic & Media References:

Helen Lewis (The Atlantic) – Quoted for stating that “the internet is built to empower extremophiles.”
Google's Assertive Provenance Report – Discussion of how Google suggests approaches for watermarking and authenticating AI-generated content.

Key Topics Discussed:

Misinformation & Social Media Dynamics

Iowa Caucuses (2012 vs. 2020) – How political narratives and distrust in election results evolved.
Measles Outbreak & Anti-Vaccine Misinformation – How misinformation spreads and how online movements gain traction.
Algorithmic Influence & Content Curation – The role of algorithms in shaping political extremism and public perceptions.
QAnon & Wayfair Conspiracy Theory – How misinformation led to real-world harassment and threats.
COVID-19 & Public Trust in Institutions – How institutional silence and slow responses allowed misinformation to fill the gap.
Decline of Trust in Experts – How institutions and scientists need to engage more effectively online.
Influencers & Audience Capture – How social media personalities can be driven toward extremism by audience demands.

Solutions & Strategies

Pre-bunking – Educating people in advance about misinformation tactics.
Adding Friction – Using design interventions (like Twitter’s “Are you sure you want to share this?”) to slow down misinformation.
Virality Circuit Breakers – Temporary restrictions on the spread of viral misinformation while it is fact-checked.
Watermarking AI-generated Content – Challenges and limitations in identifying AI-created media.
Institutional Preparedness – Advice for organizations on handling misinformation crises.