RSIS Webinar Series on “DRUMS: Distortions, Rumours, Untruths, Misinformation & Smears”
Technology and Journalism – Countering Misinformation/Disinformation
Webinar Dates: 1 December, 2 December and 4 December 2020
Time: 20:00 – 21:30 (Singapore Time)
About the webinar series
The manipulation of information – disinformation, misinformation and online falsehoods – continues to be a worldwide problem. It influences the processes and outcomes of elections and political discourse, public health and safety, and trust in media sources and national institutions. Collectively, these issues affect national security. This webinar series aims to: (a) enhance our understanding of the issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective, (b) probe how countries and organisations around the world are coping with the issues; and (c) explore existing and new methods to counter the problem. Acclaimed experts from academia, think tank and non-governmental organisations around the world have been invited to share their analysis and recommendations on current trends of information disorder.
Who Should Attend
Policy-makers, academics, researchers and practitioners who are: (a) concerned about the issues of disinformation, online falsehoods and influence operations being a national security threat; (b) interested in the social implications of these issues; and (c) would like to learn how states and societies can address them.
Registration
This event will be held online via Zoom. You only have to register once to attend all three webinars at the specified date and time using devices (smartphone, tablet or laptop/desktop) with internet connection.
1: ELECTIONS, MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION
Date: 1/12/2020 Day: Tuesday
Time: 20:00–21:30 (Singapore Time)
Misinformation and disinformation from domestic and foreign actors continue to be a problem for social peace and political discourse in many countries especially those that went to the polls in 2020 such as the U.S in the West and Myanmar in Southeast Asia. This problem will persist as countries continue to face political schisms and geopolitical competitions.
Speakers:
Liisa Past, Head of Cyber Security Business Development, Cybernetica and former Chief National Cyber Risk Officer at the National Security and Defence Coordination Unit, Estonia.
Raymond M. Serrato, formerly a social media analyst at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Hunter Marston, PhD candidate in International Relations at the Australian National University in the Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs.
Katie Joseff, Senior Research Associate at the Center for Media Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin.
2: HEALTH CRISES, MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION
Date: 2/12/2020 Day: Wednesday
Time: 20:00–21:30 (Singapore Time)
COVID-19 infodemic aggravates the global health crisis, fuels racism and xenophobia, and feature in narratives that some diplomats use to blame other countries for the disease’s spread. This problem could persist as countries continue to experience waves of infections and seek the supply of safe and affordable vaccines.
Speakers:
Harris Zainul is an Analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.
Aribowo Sasmito is a Co-Founder as well as the Head of Fact Checker Committee, MAFINDO.
Edward Tian is a computer science and journalism student at Princeton University and contributor at Bellingcat.
Roman Adamczyk is the Research Coordinator for the EU DisinfoLab, an independent NGO focused on tackling disinformation campaigns targeting the European Union.
3: TECHNOLOGY AND JOURNALISM – COUNTERING MISINFORMATION/DISINFORMATION
Date: 4/12/2020 Day: Friday
Time: 20:00–21:30 (Singapore Time)
Some governments have enacted national legislations to counter misinformation/disinformation including influence operations but laws have both strengths and limitations in the information cat and mouse game. Technology, social media influencers and journalism campaigns, digital advertisements are domains that should continue to be explored for countermeasures.
Speakers:
Nandini Jammi runs Sleeping Giants, the social media campaign that alerted advertisers that their ads were funding hate speech on Breitbart News.
Dr Crystal Abidin is a Senior Research Fellow & ARC DECRA Fellow in Internet Studies at Curtin University.
Saifuddin Ahmed is an assistant professor at Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Alicia Wanless is the Director of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
