Alan Jagolinzer
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jagolinzer.bsky.social
Alan Jagolinzer
@jagolinzer.bsky.social
13K followers 3K following 2.3K posts
Professor of Financial Accounting, Vice Dean of Programmes, co-Director, Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability, University of Cambridge

Research in: IFRS, GAAP, governance, information risks & harms
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
My thoughts on the threats to academic independence, from the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

Video available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgA4....
"...we cannot ignore that there are political forces right now who seem to present an existential threat to our independence and who will falsely accuse us of bias when we defend against that threat. They tend to deploy legal, reputational, institutional, and financial weapons to shut down or silence independent research on topics like climate, health, inequality, or information risks. This puts us in an untenable position where the research community has to defend against their actions to remain independent. If your actions threaten my independence, then my defense of my independence—which I will defend unapologetically—does not make me biased. In fact, our work requires evidential support, ethics panel approval, peer-review, and editorial consideration. While not infallible, our research process deserves more credence than the typically-unvetted claims from actors with glaring conflicts of interest who try to discredit our research en masse. The fact these actors threaten us indicates that our work has impact. I want to reiterate that last point. They would not threaten our community if our work did not matter. So, we convene here to continue our work. We do not need government approval to do scientific work. In fact, the root of science is innate individual curiosity. All it takes is for one single person to be curious, to pose a question in their mind, and to explore the question and collect data. That process is organic. And I see our primary imperative is to keep the pilot light lit, so our innate internal curiosity can continue to burn in each of us, and we can hand that flame down to the next generation." Recorded 23 April 2025 at the University of Cambridge.
January 3, 2026 at 8:52 AM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
My thoughts on the threats to academic independence, from the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

Video available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgA4....
"...we cannot ignore that there are political forces right now who seem to present an existential threat to our independence and who will falsely accuse us of bias when we defend against that threat. They tend to deploy legal, reputational, institutional, and financial weapons to shut down or silence independent research on topics like climate, health, inequality, or information risks. This puts us in an untenable position where the research community has to defend against their actions to remain independent. If your actions threaten my independence, then my defense of my independence—which I will defend unapologetically—does not make me biased. In fact, our work requires evidential support, ethics panel approval, peer-review, and editorial consideration. While not infallible, our research process deserves more credence than the typically-unvetted claims from actors with glaring conflicts of interest who try to discredit our research en masse. The fact these actors threaten us indicates that our work has impact. I want to reiterate that last point. They would not threaten our community if our work did not matter. So, we convene here to continue our work. We do not need government approval to do scientific work. In fact, the root of science is innate individual curiosity. All it takes is for one single person to be curious, to pose a question in their mind, and to explore the question and collect data. That process is organic. And I see our primary imperative is to keep the pilot light lit, so our innate internal curiosity can continue to burn in each of us, and we can hand that flame down to the next generation." Recorded 23 April 2025 at the University of Cambridge.
January 3, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
A short primer on tribalism and its maladaptive effects.

By David Cycleback.

philpapers.org/archive/CYCT...
philpapers.org
January 2, 2026 at 2:16 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
A discussion of how crypto influencers form communities and how some can be highly exploitative.

Chris Temple, Optimist
Lorena Billi, Furt'her
Max Brichta, University of Virginia

From the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uioB...
Crypto Influencers and Communities
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
www.youtube.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:04 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
A short primer on tribalism and its maladaptive effects.

By David Cycleback.

philpapers.org/archive/CYCT...
philpapers.org
January 2, 2026 at 2:16 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Solid primer on “competitive authoritarianism.”

From @foreignaffairs.com, by Levitsky, Way, and Ziblatt.

archive.is/2025.12.30-1...
archive.is
January 2, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
--Censorship and Freedom of Expression

--Digital Services Regulation and Digital Sovereignty

--Audience manipulation

Speakers will not be announced until closer to the events to enhance event security.

(2/2)
December 31, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Some confirmed topics for the 2026 Cambridge Disinformation Summit:

--Economic, financial, and societal systemic risks from AI, social media, crypto, and disinformation, including effects on targeted communities

--The allure and potential risks of para- and machine-social relationships

(1/2)
December 31, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
pbsnews.org
For the past 15 years, the fact-checkers at PolitiFact have sorted through hundreds of statements by politicians to name the "Lie of the Year." This year, the editors dubbed 2025 the "Year of the Lies." https://to.pbs.org/4jhVQRk
Why PolitiFact has labeled 2025 the 'Year of the Lies'
For the past 15 years, the fact-checkers at PolitiFact have sorted through hundreds of statements by politicians to name the "Lie of the Year." This year, the editors dubbed 2025 the "Year of the Lies...
to.pbs.org
January 1, 2026 at 3:20 AM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Some confirmed topics for the 2026 Cambridge Disinformation Summit:

--Economic, financial, and societal systemic risks from AI, social media, crypto, and disinformation, including effects on targeted communities

--The allure and potential risks of para- and machine-social relationships

(1/2)
December 31, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
"The appetite to deregulate has been rapacious; the analysis of the costs and benefits of our policies has been non-existent; and, the repercussions, I would argue, could be dire. We live in an echo chamber where politicians and policymakers make their own truth through repetition."

--Crenshaw
December 31, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
SEC Commissioner Crenshaw's comments are consistent with my assessment that we are in a global information and accountability crisis.

www.sec.gov/newsroom/spe...
SEC.gov | The Rubble and the Rebuild: The Future of Financial Regulation Series at The Brookings Institution
The Rubble and the Rebuild The Future of Financial Regulation Series at The Brookings Institute Commissioner Caroline A. Crenshaw December 11. 2025
www.sec.gov
December 31, 2025 at 2:14 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
SEC Commissioner Crenshaw's comments are consistent with my assessment that we are in a global information and accountability crisis.

www.sec.gov/newsroom/spe...
SEC.gov | The Rubble and the Rebuild: The Future of Financial Regulation Series at The Brookings Institution
The Rubble and the Rebuild The Future of Financial Regulation Series at The Brookings Institute Commissioner Caroline A. Crenshaw December 11. 2025
www.sec.gov
December 31, 2025 at 2:14 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Common design for how disinformation campaigns undermine democracy.

--Identify audiences who hold perceived grievance

--Support a populist message that offers the aggrieved audience a sense of power it has not recently felt and an out-group to blame.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEjt...
How some disinformation campaigns attempt to undermine democracy
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
www.youtube.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Sat 9 May, we will host an important discussion about Tech CEO Culture, with

@karaswisher.bsky.social &

@alexandrageese.bsky.social

In person registration will open in 2026 and the talk will livestream on YouTube.
December 29, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
My must-read book list to prepare for 2026:

Strongmen, @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social

Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams

Autocracy, Inc., @anneapplebaum.bsky.social

The Tech Coup, @marietjeschaake.bsky.social

Burn Book, @karaswisher.bsky.social

Corruptible, @brianklaas.bsky.social
December 30, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
I predict academic independence will come under increasing threat in 2026.

In response, I think scientists must lean into uncomfortable roles, like political advocacy, to defend independence.

My thoughts from the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

youtu.be/UgA44T1lEPE
Univ of Cambridge Professor Jagolinzer on threats to research scientists
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
youtu.be
December 30, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Revisiting talks from the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

@bellingcat.com founder and CEO @eliothiggins.bsky.social offered the opening keynote:

Demanufacturing Consent: How disordered discourse is destroying democracy.

youtu.be/D-FVjonlGOY?...
Bellingcat CEO Eliot Higgins, on how disordered discourse is destroying democracy
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
youtu.be
December 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
My must-read book list to prepare for 2026:

Strongmen, @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social

Careless People, Sarah Wynn-Williams

Autocracy, Inc., @anneapplebaum.bsky.social

The Tech Coup, @marietjeschaake.bsky.social

Burn Book, @karaswisher.bsky.social

Corruptible, @brianklaas.bsky.social
December 30, 2025 at 9:32 AM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
I predict academic independence will come under increasing threat in 2026.

In response, I think scientists must lean into uncomfortable roles, like political advocacy, to defend independence.

My thoughts from the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

youtu.be/UgA44T1lEPE
Univ of Cambridge Professor Jagolinzer on threats to research scientists
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
youtu.be
December 30, 2025 at 8:24 AM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Sat 9 May, we will host an important discussion about Tech CEO Culture, with

@karaswisher.bsky.social &

@alexandrageese.bsky.social

In person registration will open in 2026 and the talk will livestream on YouTube.
December 29, 2025 at 7:03 PM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
Revisiting talks from the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

@bellingcat.com founder and CEO @eliothiggins.bsky.social offered the opening keynote:

Demanufacturing Consent: How disordered discourse is destroying democracy.

youtu.be/D-FVjonlGOY?...
Bellingcat CEO Eliot Higgins, on how disordered discourse is destroying democracy
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
youtu.be
December 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
jagolinzer.bsky.social
@attorneynora.bsky.social led a discussion with legislators about their assessments on how to engage harms from disinformation.

Recorded at the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

@alexandrageese.bsky.social
@damiancollins.bsky.social

youtu.be/Zvbh2t59GCU?...
Cambridge Disinformation Summit 2025: Legislation of disinformation interventions panel
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
youtu.be
December 29, 2025 at 9:34 AM
jagolinzer.bsky.social
@attorneynora.bsky.social led a discussion with legislators about their assessments on how to engage harms from disinformation.

Recorded at the 2025 Cambridge Disinformation Summit.

@alexandrageese.bsky.social
@damiancollins.bsky.social

youtu.be/Zvbh2t59GCU?...
Cambridge Disinformation Summit 2025: Legislation of disinformation interventions panel
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
youtu.be
December 29, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by Alan Jagolinzer
asharangappa.bsky.social
Very excited to attend the Cambridge Disinformation Summit next spring! It's a great hub for people in this space to come together and share ideas.
December 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM