Claire Wardle Journalist Profile

Articles

How Researchers Can Fight Misinformation

Oct 8, 2024 | issues.org | Tom Burroughs |Claire Wardle

Hurricane Helene’s damaging push into the mountains of North Carolina was accompanied by a storm of false or misleading claims across various social media outlets, the AP reports. But how can society stop or mitigate the flow of flawed information? In Issues, Claire Wardle proposes ways for researchers, in particular, to step up.
Misinformation Watchdog Under Threat

Jun 17, 2024 | issues.org | Tom Burroughs |Claire Wardle

The Stanford Internet Observatory, known for investigating online misinformation, is greatly slashing its efforts, though vowing to continue some work with a reduced staff. In Issues, Claire Wardle offers a deep look at misinformation—and its especially devious kin, disinformation—and how to meet the challenges for society. One key is to look beyond gauging the accuracy of individual posts.
Navigating digital transformations - How Derbyshire County Council has revolutionised their services

Apr 9, 2024 | techuk.org | Claire Wardle

Currently, 84% of digital transformation projects fail due to a lack of the right support and guidance. Digital transformation is more than just investing in digital technologies, it is adapting to a new working culture to not just use data, but understand the true value of it. Derbyshire County Council has embarked on a digital transformation journey to improve its services across the care continuum by using a variety of local government software solutions.
The Struggle to Study Online Misinformation

Sep 27, 2023 | issues.org | Tom Burroughs |Claire Wardle

Under increasing political pressure, multiple public and private institutions are revamping programs that study the spread of faulty information online, the Washington Post reports. But a series of articles in Issues argues for expanding research to better understand—and learn to navigate—today’s polluted information ecosystems.
How to Clean Up Our Information Environments

Sep 12, 2023 | issues.org | Claire Wardle |Vol. XXXIX

My “ah-ha” disinformation moment came in July 2014, in the hours and days following the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine. I was a senior official in the federal agency that oversees US international broadcasting, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and closely monitoring media reports of the tragedy. Credible reporting quickly emerged that the airliner had been shot down by Russian-controlled forces.
I Helped Lead the Movement Against “Fake News.” I Have a Big Regret.

Jun 5, 2023 | slate.com | Claire Wardle

I fought to make the term misinformation mainstream. Now, I think focusing on labels can distract from a larger problem. A version of this article originally appeared in Issues in Science and Technology. In the fall of 2017, the Collins Dictionary named fake news the word of the year. It was hard to argue with the decision. Journalists were using the phrase to raise awareness of false and misleading information online. Academics had started publishing copiously on the subject.
Misunderstanding Misinformation

Jun 5, 2023 | rsn.org | Claire Wardle

In the fall of 2017, the Collins Dictionary named fake news the word of the year. It was hard to argue with the decision. Journalists were using the phrase to raise awareness of false and misleading information online. Academics had started publishing copiously on the subject. And, of course, U.S. President Donald Trump regularly used the epithet from the podium to discredit nearly anything he disliked.
Getting Ahead of Misinformation

Mar 15, 2023 | democracyjournal.org | Claire Wardle |Samuel Woolley

I sat down to write this piece almost six years to the day since Facebook announced its Third Party Fact-Checking Program. While we now take for granted the pop-up labels we regularly see on different platforms that provide more context on content, this Facebook partnership with four U.S.-based fact-checking organizations marked the first time a platform had intervened to warn users about the veracity of content.