Digital Distortions

Sophie Achermann on online harms, and gendered violence on social media

This podcast features an in-depth conversation with Sophie Achermann studies public discourse online. She is the co-founder, and managing director of the Public Discourse Foundation, a Swiss-based foundation that aims to research and strengthen public discourse on the Internet.

Marie-Astrid Langer on reporting technology, and life in Silicon Valley

This podcast features an in-depth conversation with the award-winning journalist Marie-Astrid Langer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-astrid-langer-91032352/?locale=en_US], who is the US correspondent for the venerable Swiss newspaper, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) [https://www.english.nzz.ch/]. First published as the Zürcher Zeitung (Zurich Journal) in January 1780, the newspaper was renamed as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, or the NZZ for short, in 1821. It has been published without interruption since, making the NZZ the oldest newspaper in Switzerland and one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the world. Langer has an MBA from University of Tübingen, and is alumna of the Henri-Nannen-Journalism School. Her beat involves reporting all technology related news, and developments in the US. The conversation between Langer, and Hattotuwa highlighted the crucial role tech journalists play in bridging the gap between the insular world of Silicon Valley innovation and the broader societal implications and public understanding of these technologies. But it also underscored the immense challenges involved in reporting on an industry of such consolidated power and a culture often lacking in diversity, ethics and self-reflection.

Karsten Donnay on politics, technology, and negotiating complexity

In this thought-provoking episode of the ICT4Peace Foundation's Digital Distortions podcast, the second in the series, host Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa engages in a wide-ranging conversation with Assistant Professor Karsten Donnay from the University of Zurich about the complex challenges posed by the rapid digitalisation of politics and society. Professor Donnay shares insights from his research on how digital platforms are changing political behaviour, news consumption, and perceptions of reality. The discussion delves into the lack of understanding and action from policymakers, particularly in Switzerland, regarding pressing issues like misinformation, hate speech, and the impacts of generative AI. Donnay, and Hattotuwa also examine the potential dangers of social media fragmenting into smaller, more ideologically homogeneous platforms, and the increasing barriers researchers face in studying these phenomena as companies restrict data access. They reflect on how the nature of online discourse seems to have deteriorated since the COVID-19 pandemic and the worrying trend of people losing interest in objective truth in favour of simpler explanations. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Hattotuwa and Professor Donnay grapple with the difficulty of finding solutions to these complex problems, but emphasise the importance of promoting a nuanced understanding of the world in the face of simplistic narratives. This episode offers a fascinating window into some of the most critical challenges we face in the digital age.

Eoghan Sweeney on OSINT

This ICT4Peace Foundation podcast features an in-depth discussion between host Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa and veteran open source intelligence expert Eoghan Sweeney. They explore the dramatic changes that have unfolded in the online information landscape over the past decade. Their conversation comes in the aftermath of the traumatic October 2023 conflict between Israel and Hamas that caused unprecedented volumes of disinformation flooding social channels. Sweeney shares insights from his over 15 years of experience investigating content and verifying sources to battle deception. He traces the evolution of techniques like fact checking, while also warning of excessive faith being placed in these approaches alone to combat false narratives. Both speakers grapple with the extreme, affect-charged polarisation propagated via social platforms in conflict situations and the difficulty of establishing truth. Looking ahead, concerns get raised about the potential for artificial intelligence like generative text models to manufacture fake accounts, documents, and multimedia at staggering scales. With human creators already overmatched, such technologies risk further confusing and manipulating information consumers. Sweeney urges societies to prioritise awareness, media literacy efforts, and teaching healthy skepticism. This podcast examines the crossroads where information technology, mass deception, and human psychology collide. It highlights grave threats but also pathways to hope if ordinary citizens exercise discernment and if democracies invest in knowledge over propaganda.