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cip.uw.edu
Center for an Informed Public
@cip.uw.edu
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A multidisciplinary research center at the University of Washington in Seattle with a mission to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse.

Website: cip.uw.edu
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cip.uw.edu
Slate: Scholars, including @cip.uw.edu graduate research assistant and @hcde.uw.edu PhD candidate @zarine.net, say "recent attacks on Wikipedia differ from earlier critiques" of the website, which had focused on Wikipedia's content.

Read more: slate.com/technology/2...
A Wikipedia Conference Took a Dark Turn. Unfortunately, It’s Not a Total Surprise.
An armed man at a gathering of the website’s volunteers is just the latest reminder: Editing the internet’s encyclopedia has never been riskier.
slate.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:25 PM
cip.uw.edu
Check out this @techpolicypress.bsky.social podcast interview with @cip.uw.edu co-founder @rcalo.bsky.social, a professor at @uwlaw.bsky.social and @ischool.uw.edu ⤵️⤵️⤵️
justinhendrix.bsky.social Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 17d
Podcast! In his new book, Law and Technology: A Methodical Approach, Ryan Calo argues that if the purpose of technology is to expand human capabilities and affordances, the purpose of law is to establish the expectations, incentives, and boundaries that guide that expansion toward human flourishing.
Ryan Calo Wants to Change the Relationship Between Law and Technology | TechPolicy.Press
Calo is the author of Law and Technology: A Methodical Approach, published by Oxford University Press.
techpolicy.press
October 27, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
katestarbird.bsky.social
Our team presented five papers at the CSCW (computer supported cooperative work and social computing) conference this week in Bergen, Norway. (CSCW is an ACM conference and a “home conference” for my team.) I’m going to share a few highlights in a thread here.
October 22, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
schafer.bsky.social
Excited to be in Bergen for CSCW 2025! This (Monday) afternoon I’ll be presenting a study I led with a fantastic team of undergraduate and Masters students, supervised by @katestarbird.bsky.social, on sudden attention, influencers, and TikTok - more details in 🧵 1/
'I Blow Up': Understanding TikTok Users' Reactions to Sudden Social Media Attention | Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
Social media platforms are known to facilitate sudden bursts of attention on individual pieces of content and their creators — dynamics often referred to as ''going viral''. However, questions remain ...
dl.acm.org
October 20, 2025 at 9:18 AM
cip.uw.edu
Annie Zhang, who studies effective strategies in science communication, public perceptions of science and how scientists can better inform the communication of their research and expertise, has started work as a new @cip.uw.edu postdoctoral scholar.

Learn more:
www.cip.uw.edu/2025/10/15/a...
Annie Zhang joins Center for an Informed Public as postdoctoral scholar
Annie Zhang, who studies effective strategies in science communication, public perceptions of science and how scientists can better inform the communication of their research and expertise, has sta…
www.cip.uw.edu
October 16, 2025 at 7:44 PM
cip.uw.edu
Check out this recent @seattletimes.com op-ed by @cip.uw.edu research manager @danielletomson.bsky.social ⤵️⤵️⤵️
danielletomson.bsky.social Dr. D @danielletomson.bsky.social · Oct 12
In today’s @seattletimes.com, I share my concept of the Authenticity Gap, when our stories and experiences don’t align. Now more than ever, we need a new generation of sensemakers willing to explain things as they are, while roadmapping where we would like to go.
www.seattletimes.com/opinion/in-t...
In today's world, we need real stories, not just facts | Op-Ed
Human beings want their explanations of the world to feel real. Yet that desire for authenticity, for something that feels true, can be easily exploited.
www.seattletimes.com
October 14, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
ischool.uw.edu
Postdoc spotlight: Meet Dr. Alexandros Efstratiou of the @cip.uw.edu! He is a computational social scientist studying social media polarization, echo chambers, intergroup interactions and depolarization interventions, among other topics. @alextheefstra.bsky.social
www.cip.uw.edu/2025/02/06/a...
Dr. Alexandros Efstratiou wearing a black turtleneck sweater. A graphic with white text on a purple background. Text reads, "Research on social media: Dr. Efstratiou’s work focuses on social polarization on social media, looking at phenomena like echo chambers and uncivil interactions between people. He is interested specifically in polarization in culture: Why is cycling a “liberal” sport and fishing a “conservative” hobby? How can political attitudes affect the TV shows we watch and music we listen to? In his research, Dr. Efstratiou is developing methods to find where these cultural differences exist and what underlying identities they represent." An additional graphic with white text on a purple background. Text reads, "What impact do you hope your research will have? 'My aim with this work is to uncover new dimensions of identities that people tend to polarize around, like politics. If we can find underlying symbols or sub-cultures that offer a greater surface area to find common ground, then we may be better placed to address deepening societal divides. My hope is that this research will help people focus on what they have in common, rather than what they don’t.' -Dr. Alexandros Efstratiou, Postdoctoral Scholar."
October 9, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
katestarbird.bsky.social
Recently published work from colleagues Morgan Wack (postdoc at University of Zurich) & Joey Schafer (UW PhD candidate) showing how state election policies that delayed vote counting fueled rumoring and conspiracy theorizing around the 2020 election: blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...
The 2020 US election shows how state election policies can fuel conspiracy theories about voting | USAPP
States that allowed pre-Election Day processing saw a reduction of over a third in expected misinformation compared to states with restrictive rules.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
katestarbird.bsky.social
New study by @brendannyhan.bsky.social, @jasonreifler.bsky.social & colleagues demonstrates that prebunking election fraud rumors — by warning about anticipated false claims & filling conceptual gaps that those claims exploit — helps to reduce belief in falsehoods: www.science.org/content/arti...
Trust in elections rises after ‘inoculations’ meant to preempt false fraud claims
New U.S.-Brazil study points to ways of countering election misinformation, political scientists say
www.science.org
August 29, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
radnitz.bsky.social
What if conspiracy theories were taken to their logical endpoint and put into practice as a form of governance? @mertcanbayar.bsky.social and I explore this question in our new article on the conspiracist theory of power in @cogitatiopag.bsky.social.

www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandg...
The Conspiracist Theory of Power | Article | Politics and Governance
Mert Can Bayar, Scott Radnitz
www.cogitatiopress.com
August 20, 2025 at 7:42 PM
cip.uw.edu
Check out "The persuasive potential of AI-paraphrased information at scale," an open-access article exploring "AIPasta," written by a team of @cip.uw.edu researchers led by @dashsaloni.bsky.social with co-authors @yiweixu.bsky.social, @maddyjalbert.bsky.social and @emmaspiro.bsky.social ⤵️
pnasnexus.org PNAS Nexus @pnasnexus.org · Aug 4
Repeating duplicated messages—known as CopyPasta—over and over online is a common misinformation strategy. Using AI to paraphrase the message, what the authors call “AIPasta,” could be even more effective at creating a false consensus. In PNAS Nexus: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
#StopTheSteal AIPasta Stimuli: Profile images, usernames, and handles constructed by Jalbert et al. 2025. Profiles do not represent real users and were created from stock images and with handles that are not currently in use.
August 11, 2025 at 8:44 PM
cip.uw.edu
In a recent @fastcompany.com interview, @cip.uw.edu co-founder @rcalo.bsky.social reflected on the Office of Technology Assessment, which Congress shuttered 30 years ago. www.fastcompany.com/91378299/off...
Tech policy could be smarter and less partisan if Congress hadn’t shut down this innovative program
For years, the Office of Technology Assessment helped Congress see around corners on science and tech. Its 1995 shutdown left lawmakers flying blind.
www.fastcompany.com
August 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
ninalutz.bsky.social
Does your work explore mis/disinformation, scams, hate speech, or other forms of harmful information online?

We are convening a CSCW workshop to bring together a global community focused on information disorder. We welcome short submissions, due August 8th.

cscw2025infodisorder.netlify.app
August 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
dashsaloni.bsky.social
Excited to announce that my paper "The persuasive potential of AI-paraphrased information at scale" with my wonderful collaborators @yiweixu.bsky.social, @maddyjalbert.bsky.social, and @emmaspiro.bsky.social has been published at PNAS Nexus!

Link: academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...
The persuasive potential of AI-paraphrased information at scale
Abstract. In this article, we study how AI-paraphrased messages have the potential to amplify the persuasive impact and scale of information campaigns. Bui
academic.oup.com
July 24, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
radnitz.bsky.social
My article on the stakes around mis/disinformation controversies is finally out at @poppublicsphere.bsky.social.
It is the product of my work at @eui-schuman.bsky.social with support from @stephofmann.bsky.social and inspiration from @cip.uw.edu.
July 26, 2025 at 5:10 AM
cip.uw.edu
"There’s a pressing need for a generation of people who possess a technical understanding of the technology itself and also are informed about the methods and tools of regulation," @cip.uw.edu co-founder @rcalo.bsky.social said in an @ischool.uw.edu Q&A: ischool.uw.edu/news/2025/07...
Q&A: Ryan Calo on why 'we need to take a page from the Amish'
Ryan Calo holds a joint appointment as a professor in the Information School and as the Lane Powell and D. Wayne Gittinger Professor at the UW School of La...
ischool.uw.edu
July 22, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
schafer.bsky.social
Proud to have co-led this paper with @morganwack.bsky.social (and other coauthors @ikennedy.bsky.social @beeeeeers.bsky.social @emmaspiro.bsky.social @katestarbird.bsky.social) looking at the impacts of state-level election laws on uncertainty and election integrity rumors!
katestarbird.bsky.social Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · Jul 11
Legislating Uncertainty: New paper about the 2020 election, showing how laws in certain states (specically laws that delayed the counting of mail-in ballots) increased uncertainty about election results and contributed to rumoring about election integrity: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
<em>Policy Studies Journal</em> | PSO Public Policy Journal | Wiley Online Library
Can state election policies affect the spread of misinformation? This paper studies the role played by ballot processing policies, which determine when ballots can be examined and organized, in the o...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
July 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
katestarbird.bsky.social
Really excited to draw attention to this dissertation by Melinda McClure Haughey (@melm.cc‬). Melinda's research explored collaborative infrastructure for supporting the "sensemaking" work of journalists working on high-stakes, fast-paced & often data-driven beats. www.melm.cc/research/dis...
Melinda's Dissertation: Truth-Seeking as Collaborative Work
In moments of uncertainty, journalists help the public make sense. This research shows how that work depends on expert networks and systems that too often fail when they need to move fast and what it ...
www.melm.cc
June 30, 2025 at 10:12 PM
cip.uw.edu
In @lawfaremedia.org, @cip.uw.edu graduate research assistants @ashlynba.bsky.social and @sprochas.bsky.social explore how "fringe election fraud rumors are becoming legal drama — weaponized lawsuits and policies that present fiction as fact on social media." www.lawfaremedia.org/article/how-...
How Strategic Litigation Feeds On and Fuels Political Narrative
Fringe election fraud rumors are becoming legal drama—weaponized lawsuits and policies that present fiction as fact on social media.&nbsp;
www.lawfaremedia.org
June 30, 2025 at 4:49 PM
cip.uw.edu
“The design of social media platforms facilitates and even incentivizes this kind of rumoring and political point-scoring in the wake of crisis events,” @cip.uw.edu co-founder @katestarbird.bsky.social said in an interview with @nbcnews.com. www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...
How Minnesota shooting conspiracy theories took over social media feeds
Before a suspect was ever named in the shootings, conspiracy theorists and opportunists jumped at the chance to blame their political opponents.
www.nbcnews.com
June 17, 2025 at 2:18 PM
cip.uw.edu
In a @seattletimes.com opinion article, Danica Noble, a @cip.uw.edu community fellow and antitrust attorney, writes that Congress should not silence the states on AI oversight: "We need every tool available to protect ourselves as AI gets more powerful." www.seattletimes.com/opinion/we-n...
We need more AI oversight, not less | Op-Ed
The chance that states could be forbidden from regulating artificial intelligence is one that should alarm us all.
www.seattletimes.com
June 9, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
staceyaw.bsky.social
Great opportunity for practitioners to learn and collaborate with academic partners on projects about resisting strategic misinformation, promoting an informed society, and strengthening democratic discourse.
cip.uw.edu Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28
Do you work in journalism, education, technology, librarianship, government, community organizing or law? We're currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort for our @cip.uw.edu Community Fellowship program. The application deadline is June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu/2025/05/27/c...
CIP accepting applications for Community Fellowship 2025-26 cohort
The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is accepting applications for the CIP Community Fellowship program’s 2025-26 cohort through June 20.
www.cip.uw.edu
May 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
katestarbird.bsky.social
Our team at the UW Center for an Informed Public is recruiting for our next class of Community Fellows (for the 2025-2026 school year). Learn more about the program, apply, and/or pass our call along to folks you think might be a good fit for our next cohort!
cip.uw.edu Center for an Informed Public @cip.uw.edu · May 28
Do you work in journalism, education, technology, librarianship, government, community organizing or law? We're currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort for our @cip.uw.edu Community Fellowship program. The application deadline is June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu/2025/05/27/c...
CIP accepting applications for Community Fellowship 2025-26 cohort
The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is accepting applications for the CIP Community Fellowship program’s 2025-26 cohort through June 20.
www.cip.uw.edu
May 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
cip.uw.edu
Do you work in journalism, education, technology, librarianship, government, community organizing or law? We're currently accepting applications for the 2025-26 cohort for our @cip.uw.edu Community Fellowship program. The application deadline is June 20.

www.cip.uw.edu/2025/05/27/c...
CIP accepting applications for Community Fellowship 2025-26 cohort
The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is accepting applications for the CIP Community Fellowship program’s 2025-26 cohort through June 20.
www.cip.uw.edu
May 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Center for an Informed Public
katestarbird.bsky.social
Thrilled to be at the CHI conference this week where PhD student @schafer.bsky.social will present our paper — co-authored w/ Rachel Moran (1st author) & @mertcanbayar.bsky.social — titled, "The End of Trust and Safety?" dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
The End of Trust and Safety?: Examining the Future of Content Moderation and Upheavals in Professional Online Safety Efforts | Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Syst...
dl.acm.org
April 27, 2025 at 5:25 AM