Truth, Trust and Democracy

In this episode Michelle explores why Wales, a small country in the United Kingdom, is trying to stop autocracy in its tracks, with a proposal to stop politicians from lying.
She talks to a sitting MP, legal expert and a democracy campaigner to understand what’s on the table.

This episode includes interviews with:
Adam Price, a sitting member of the Plaid Cymru Party in the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament.
Sam Fowles, constitutional lawyer and author
Jennifer Nadel, journalist and CEO of Compassion in Politics.

Publications cited:
Welsh Parliament Standards of Conduct Committee report
"Senedd Committee recommends crackdown on politicians who deliberately lie" - Nation Cymru News, 19 Feb 2025
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In this final episode Michelle Ainsworth explores why everyone needs strong media and digital literacy skills to help navigate our increasingly messy information ecosystem. She’ll also touch on the importance of civic engagement in a democracy.
She’ll talk to experts in media and digital literacy, civics, former US government advisors and leading academics in disinformation.

This episode includes interviews with:
Leo Pekkala, Deputy Director KAVI, Finland’s National Audio-Visual Institute
Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, former Executive Director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education
Michael Daniel, President Cyber Threat Alliance
Associate Professor Michelle Amazeen, Mass Communication, Boston University
Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security
Professor Amy E. Lehrman, Director of the Possibility Lab, UC Berkeley
Abby Kiesa, outgoing deputy director, Centre for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)
Professor Jon Roozenbeek, Social Decision-Making Lab, Cambridge University

Publications cited:
Adult Media Literacy - Australian Media Literacy Alliance
Circle at Tufts University
NAMLE (National Association for Media Literacy Education)
Sir Winston Churchill democracy speech - UK Hansard 11 Nov 1947

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Michelle Ainsworth explores the tools that are being used to tackle misinformation and disinformation, while at the same time keeping a healthy information ecosystem that produces accurate, trustworthy and reliable information, while still exposing people to a variety of ideas.
She’ll talk to leading academics who work on pre-bunking initiatives, senior journalists and news executives, information integrity experts and disinformation specialists.

This episode includes interviews with:
Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”
Professor Rasmus Nielson, Former Director Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Laura Manley, Executive Director Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University
Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security
Dean Jackson, Democracy, Media and Technology Specialist
Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”
Professor Jon Roozenbeek, Social Decision-Making Lab, Cambridge University
Professor Sander van der Linden, Department of Psychology, Cambridge University
Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner

Publications cited:
United nations - Information Integrity
Bad News Game - Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab
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In this episode Michelle Ainsworth looks at why strong public service media organisations and local journalism are vital for keeping democracy in check at a grassroots level. She also explores the challenges facing political journalists who are working in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
She’ll talk to senior journalists and news executives, former US government advisors, information integrity experts and disinformation specialists.

This episode includes interviews with:
Tina Griego, Colorado News Collaborative
Associate Professor Michelle Amazeen, Mass Communication, Boston University
Dean Jackson, Democracy, Media and Technology Specialist
Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”
Kelly McBride, Senior Vice President Poynter Institute and NPR’s Public Editor
Jay Rosen, Journalism Professor, New York University and author of “The Citizens Agenda”
Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security
Professor Rasmus Nielson, Former Director Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Professor Amy E. Lehrman, Director of the Possibility Lab, UC Berkeley
Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”
Associate Professor Claire Wardle, Department of Communication, Cornell University
Tina Rosenberg, journalist and co-founder Solutions Journalism Network

Publications cited:
Colorado News Collaborative
New forms of advertising raise questions about journalism integrity - The Conversation
The Citizens Agenda

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Michelle Ainsworth explores how the hype around Generative AI and the 2024 year of elections panned out, and why technology guardrails are urgently needed to protect democracy.
She’ll talk to experts in Generative AI and digital forensics. She also interviews former US government advisors, Australian election experts and disinformation specialists.

This episode includes interviews with:
Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner
Professor Helen Margetts, Oxford Internet Institute
Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security
Professor Hany Farid, School of Information, UC Berkeley
Dean Jackson, Democracy, Media and Technology Specialist
Michael Daniel, President Cyber Threat Alliance
Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”

Publications cited:
UK Election Analysis - AI Election
AI-Enabled Influence Operations: Threat Analysis of the 2024 UK and European Elections - CETaS
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