Urgent Futures with Jesse Damiani Renée DiResta: The Evolution of Propaganda & its 'Invisible Rulers': Influencers, Algorithms, & Crowds | #30
18 snips
Oct 23, 2024 
Renée DiResta, a prominent researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory, dives deep into the evolution of propaganda in the digital age. She discusses how social media algorithms amplify misinformation and the role of influencers as modern propagandists. Renée highlights the distinctions between rumors and propaganda while tracing historical influences from figures like Edward Bernays. She also warns about the impacts of generative AI on trust and explores the challenges of moderation on decentralized platforms. It's an eye-opening look at the invisible forces shaping our reality.
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Guitar Guy Demonstrates Audience Capture
- DiResta created the fictional Guitar Guy to illustrate how influencers drift into hot-topic controversies.
- Guitar Guy shows audience capture: virality generates incentives that pull creators into politicized narratives.
The 90/9/1 Influence Dynamic
- Platform participation follows a 90/9/1 pattern where a tiny percent of posters shape discourse.
- Early arrival, network ties, and timing often determine who becomes influential on new platforms.
Communities Reestablish Across Platforms
- Users migrate to new platforms en masse when political or regulatory pressure threatens access, reshaping network effects.
- Blue Sky, Mastodon, Threads show community reestablishment and fragmentation across platforms.
