desinfo red team workshop

The National Science Communication Day 2023 at the iconic Evoluon in Eindhoven was themed "Fact or F(r)iction". An especially relevant topic in these "post-reality" times, where the boundary between reality and fiction seems to be growing ever thinner.

On this day, Pieter van Boheemen had the honor to host a workshop on disinformation, intriguingly titled "Ready for the Flood?". Participants were immersed in the world of technologies used to produce and disseminate disinformation. We based our discussion on the report "Digital Threats to Democracy" by the Rathenau Institute and delved deeper into topics such as deepfakes, micro-targeting, and chatbots.

The workshop centered around a simulation exercise. Here, participants stepped into the shoes of a campaign leader of a disinfo organization and utilized the RICHDATA model from George Town University. It was an eye-opener for many, with remarks like: "It's terrifying how good I am at this."

A constructive discussion followed about the responsibilities of communication specialists in this "post-reality" world. How can we defend against disinformation campaigns, and which strategies can we employ to safeguard the truth? Which channels should we be present on? And what tools do we need?

This workshop is now available from Post-X Society. Interested? Get in touch with us.