The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart The Real Election Threat with Casey Newton and Renée DiResta
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Mar 18, 2026 
Casey Newton, Platformer editor who covers social media and algorithms. Renée DiResta, Georgetown researcher who studies misinformation and rumor spread. They probe how algorithms and product design steer users toward extreme content. They examine Silicon Valley incentives, political weaponization of disinformation, and attacks on researchers. Short, urgent conversations about attention, moderation, and fixing platform harms.
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Ranked Feeds Nudge Political Views
- Algorithm design can systematically shift user ideology by surfacing certain voices more often.
- Casey cites a Nature study showing X's ranked feed nudged users right compared to a chronological control.
Owners Can Reengineer Feeds For Personal Gain
- Platform owners can tune algorithms to privilege their own speech or allies’ content.
- Casey describes Elon Musk instructing engineers to boost his tweets after a Super Bowl engagement comparison, changing what users saw even if they didn't follow him.
Censorship Claims Fueled Political Weaponization
- Accusations of 'censorship' became political weapons against researchers and platforms after 2020.
- Renée explains Jim Jordan’s committee misrepresented the Election Integrity Partnership’s 22 million figure to claim widespread censorship.