This is an automatic English translation of the Dutch original.
Step into the shoes of a disinfo campaign leader. That was the task during the workshop “Ready for the Flood?” that we ran at National Science Communication Day 2023.
At National Science Communication Day 2023 in the iconic Evoluon in Eindhoven, the theme “Fact or F(r)iction” took centre stage. A particularly relevant subject in these “post-reality” times, in which the line between reality and fiction seems to keep getting thinner.
During the day, Pieter van Boheemen got to run a workshop on disinformation, with the challenging title “Ready for the Flood?”. Participants were taken into the world of technologies used to produce and spread disinformation. We drew on the report “Digitale Dreigingen voor de Democratie” by the Rathenau Institute and dived deeper into topics such as deepfakes, micro-targeting and chatbots.
The workshop centred on a simulation exercise. In it, participants took on the role of a campaign leader of a disinfo organisation and used the RICHDATA model from Georgetown University. It was an eye-opener for many, with remarks such as: “Frighteningly good at this.”
This led to a constructive discussion about the responsibilities of communication specialists in this “post-reality” world. How can we arm ourselves against disinformation campaigns, and which strategies can we deploy to safeguard the truth? Which channels do we need to be present on? And what resources do we need?
This workshop is part of what Post-X Society offers. Interested? Get in touch with us.