Unchecked: The architecture of disinformation

Episode 14: Disinformation and economic data, with Dr. Elise Gould

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448940/fan_mail/new] Synopsis Dr. Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, joins Rachel and Dan to pull back the curtain on how economic data is collected, revised, and communicated — and how that process is vulnerable to political manipulation. We talk about the federal statistical agencies that produce employment and wage data, the role of transparency and revision in maintaining trust, and the pressure those institutions are under today. Rachel and Dan close with two lenses: Human vs. System Integrity and Maybe. Interview * Dr. Elise Gould [https://www.epi.org/people/elise-gould/] — senior economist, Economic Policy Institute * Economic Policy Institute [https://www.epi.org/] — nonpartisan think tank focused on employment, wages, and inequality * EPI Microdata [https://microdata.epi.org/] — EPI's publicly accessible economic microdata site * State of Working America Data Library [https://data.epi.org/] — EPI's public database of wages, employment, and inequality data * EPI Data Accountability Dashboard [https://www.epi.org/publication/data-accountability-dashboard/] — EPI's tool for tracking parallel measures and monitoring changes to federal data * Bureau of Labor Statistics [https://www.bls.gov/] — federal agency that produces jobs and unemployment data * Philosophy Minis [https://www.instagram.com/philosophyminis/] — Jonny Thomson's Instagram account featuring short philosophical vignettes (referenced by Dan in the lenses segment) Lenses Lens 1: Human vs. System Integrity Information systems rely on some combination of built-in mechanisms and individual actors — whistleblowers, researchers, editors, external stakeholders — to maintain the integrity of their data. This lens asks where that responsibility actually lives. * What mechanisms are built into the system for detecting anomalies or integrity issues? * How much does the system rely on humans to address failures of integrity or reliability? * When there are gaps, inconsistencies, or suspicious patterns in the data, whose job is it to surface them? * What would it take for an integrity failure to go unnoticed — and how much of that risk has the system actually designed against? Lens 2: Maybe Drawn from the parable of the lost horse, this lens challenges the impulse to frame information as inherently good or bad news. Data systems — like dashboards and reports — routinely signal conclusions for users, even with incomplete context. * When presenting data as either good or bad, does the system also present the sufficient context to explain why? * How does the system signal urgency or alarm — and how are users empowered to specify the rules of urgency? * What tools does the system offer users to reach their own conclusions without pushing them to a predetermined frame? Edited by Jared Landis (https://www.landispodcastediting.com/) _____________________________________________________ Personnel * Dan Brown, Host * Rachel Price, Host Music * Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid [https://www.curious-squid.com] Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

Episode 13: Disinformation and gun culture, with JJ Janflone

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448940/fan_mail/new] CONTENT WARNING This episode of Unchecked deals with the sensitive topic of gun violence. SYNOPSIS JJ Janflone, who works on culture change and narrative strategy at Brady: United Against Gun Violence, joins Rachel and Dan to unpack the Big Lie at the center of gun violence disinformation. JJ explains how that single falsehood generates cascading misbeliefs — about storage, risk, and identity — and describes Brady's efforts to shift gun culture. Rachel identifies the lens Accidents Happen and Dan suggests the lens Wild Imagination. INTERVIEW * Brady: United Against Gun Violence [https://www.bradyunited.org/] — gun violence prevention organization where JJ works on culture change * This is Our Lane [https://www.bradyunited.org/take-action/join-movement/this-is-our-lane] – Brady initiative amplifying healthcare professionals' voices on gun violence * Show Gun Safety [https://www.bradyunited.org/take-action/join-movement/show-gun-safety] – Brady program to depict gun safety in entertainment * The Dickey Amendment [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickey_Amendment] — 1996 legislation that banned CDC funding for gun violence research for over two decades (rescinded 2019) LENSES Wild Imagination When a core premise goes unchallenged — like the idea that guns make you safer — information systems without guardrails allow users to spin that premise into increasingly untethered conclusions. The result is a cascade of misinformation that distorts risk perception and makes it nearly impossible to reason toward accurate, proportionate responses. * Does the system provide any framing or guardrails that help users interpret broad claims responsibly? * How does the system help users accurately assess where risk actually lies, rather than where they imagine it to be? * When users construct false or exaggerated threat scenarios, how does the system correct or contextualize them? Accidents Happen Once an action is taken in an information system — sharing a post, liking content, amplifying a story — it sends signals that are difficult or impossible to fully reverse. Even well-intentioned interactions can feed an algorithm in ways the user didn't intend, with consequences that outlast the original act. * Does the system provide a meaningful undo mechanism, and does undoing an action actually reverse its downstream effects? * How does the system handle users who want to signal disagreement with content without inadvertently amplifying it? * When users change their minds about information they've already shared or engaged with, how does the system support them in communicating that change? (Show notes drafted by generative AI and edited by a human.) _____________________________________________________ Personnel * Dan Brown, Host * Rachel Price, Host Music * Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid [https://www.curious-squid.com] Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

Episode 12: Disinformation and community moderation, with Karen McGrane

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448940/fan_mail/new] Synopsis Karen McGrane joins Rachel and Dan to explain Reddit from the perspective of a moderator. Reddit is the largest message board on the internet, with thousands of “sub-Reddits” – individual communities based on a topic. Karen moderates the community dedicated to UX Design, which gets hundreds of new posts every week. Rachel and Dan then explore two Lenses: Swarm and Curation Escape. Stories "About this Account" on X/Twitter * Renee Diresta’s Substack [https://agentsofinfluence.substack.com/p/on-the-internet-no-one-knows-youre] Big Tobacco * Tobacco industry playbook [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_industry_playbook] (Wikipedia) * Disinformation playbook [https://www.ucs.org/resources/disinformation-playbook] (Union of Concerned Scientists) Interview with Karen McGrane * Karen McGrane [https://karenmcgrane.com/] * /r/UXDesign subreddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/UXDesign/] Lenses Curation Escape So much of our experience online is curated by algorithms. A set of rules – not chosen by you – governs what bubbles up into your feed. This set of rules is at the heart of most modern information systems, and can be responsible for perpetuating misinformation. They pose a disinformation risk by people who manipulate the algorithm. * How does the system allow users to escape the curation? * What role does algorithmic curation play in the system’s experience? * How does the system allow users to tailor the curation algorithm? Swarm Participants in online spaces can exhibit swarming behavior, gathering and moving as if one. Swarming groups end up performing a variety of functions – both desirable and undesirable – in an online information space. They can enforce social norms, or alienate other participants. Likewise, they can squash misinformation, or cause it to perpetuate. * How does the system react to swarm behavior?  * How does the system benefit from swarm behavior? * How might swarming cause harm? Come see us at Information Architecture Conference (IAC26) * Register for IAC [https://www.theiaconference.com/registration/] * Use discount code unchecked for $50 off base admission _____________________________________________________ Personnel * Dan Brown, Host * Rachel Price, Host Music * Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid [https://www.curious-squid.com] Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

Episode 11: Disinformation and abortion, with Dr. Ushma Upadhyay

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448940/fan_mail/new] SYNOPSIS Speaking to Dr. Ushma Upadhyay, Rachel and Dan dig into misinformation about abortion – who gets them, why they get them, and how they get them. You may be surprised by some of the answers. Dr. Upadhyay describes her research around abortion safety and abortion via telehealth. Rachel proposes the lens “Retraction” and Dan leans on an old favorite, “Personas”. STORIES OF DISINFORMATION Y2K hype * The end of the world [https://time.com/archive/6734402/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it/] in Time * Y2K Panic [https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a30338692/y2k-panic/] in Popular Mechanics Fraud in Minnesota: A misinformation perfect storm * Dave Weigel’s post [https://bsky.app/profile/daveweigel.bsky.social/post/3mb3os3r7gc2v] on BlueSky    INTERVIEW  * Dr. Ushma Upadhyay [https://profiles.ucsf.edu/ushma.upadhyay]  * FDA directed to review the safety of mifepristone [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-fda-abortion-pill-mifepristone-safety-review/] * Mifepristone in the water [https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/15/new-anti-abortion-campaign-takes-aim-at-epa-water-testing-rules-00682098] LENSES ⇒ Persona Everyone makes assumptions about who participates, contributes to, or benefits from a system. Those assumptions are rarely challenged, and therefore become the source of or impetus for misinformation. This lens suggests unpacking assumptions is a crucial step in understanding the system. * What are your assumptions about who is engaged with your system? * What are your preconceived notions about who is involved? * When you use labels to describe your users, does everyone agree on what those labels mean? ⇒ Retraction Publishing in formal and professional venues includes the capability to correct or retract information published there. This is a crucial part of the process, as new information can change understanding. Moreover, mistakes and misinformation need to be marked as such. This lens invites you to look at the way in which your system supports retraction. * What are the system’s built-in mechanisms that allow users to retract information? * How is retracted information treated differently in the system? * How does the system invite users to challenge information to kick off a retraction process? CONFERENCE DISCOUNT CODE Join us at the Information Architecture Conference [https://www.theiaconference.com/registration/] in Philadelphia in April Use discount code UNCHECKED to get $50 the base conference fee _____________________________________________________ Personnel * Dan Brown, Host * Rachel Price, Host Music * Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid [https://www.curious-squid.com] Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design

Episode 10: Disinformation and nutrition, with Dr. Amelia Finaret

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2448940/fan_mail/new] Synopsis For the 10th episode of Unchecked, Rachel and Dan talk to Dr. Amelia B. Finaret, food economist and clinical dietitian about the state of nutrition misinformation. With the release of the latest dietary guidelines – some of which are not founded on sound nutrition science – we take a look at both the classic and newer myths around food. Dan uses the discussion to arrive at the lens of Making Hot Dogs and Rachel applies Diet Culture to our work as UX designers. Stories Robert Caro on Robert Moses * Northern State Parkway [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_State_Parkway] (see section on 1929 compromise) AI-Generated Disinformation in Europe * Report for October 2025 [https://meddmo.eu/october-snapshot-of-disinformation-narratives-in-europe/] Interview with Amelia Finaret * Amelia Finaret [https://amelia.finaret.net/home] * Dr. Finaret’s book, Food Economics [https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-53840-7] * MyPlate.gov [http://myplate.gov] (today) * MyPlate.gov [https://web.archive.org/web/20251101004257/https://www.myplate.gov/] (from Archive.org [http://archive.org], at the time of recording) * Dietary Guidelines [https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/] published by US Government * Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act [https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2014/05/20/fact-sheet-healthy-hunger-free-kids-act-school-meals-implementation] * What to Eat Now [https://bookshop.org/a/109747/9780374608699], by Marion Nestle * Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics [https://www.eatright.org/] * American Diabetes Association recipes [https://diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes] Lenses Diet Culture * How does the system send signals about the user's "goodness" based on what they are consuming or acting on? * How does the system reward “good” behavior and penalize “bad” behavior?  * How does the system decide what is good or bad? Who gets to make that decision, whose world view is reflected in that framework? Making Hot Dogs * How does the system process original source material?  * What role does it play in the "supply chain" of information? * How recognizable is the original source material in the system’s content? _____________________________________________________ Personnel * Dan Brown, Host * Rachel Price, Host Music * Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot _____________________________________________________ Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid [https://www.curious-squid.com] Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design