Misinformation has a way of spreading like wildfire, specifically, regarding the 2020 election.
Civic Listening Corps is encouraging citizens to join to help protect voters from false information that is spread online for the Ohio Primary election. Common Cause Ohio, a nonprofit advocacy organization, is partnering with the Algorithmic Transparency Institute in a nonpartisan volunteer-powered organization created to combat problematic content on social media.
The Algorithmic Transparency Institute builds technology, gathers data, and generates insights to support research, journalism, and advocacy organizations. Along with Civic Listening Corps, Algorithm Transparency also has a Junkipedia where they monitor, report, and analyze misinformation on social media, and Contrast Agent which investigates inauthentic activity and recommends algorithms.
Common Cause Ohio is committed to protecting and improving voters’ rights and access to the ballot in Ohio and improving transparency and accountability in government.
Learning how to distinguish real information from false is extremely important, especially with all the content that there is online today. Issues with false information can cause distrust in people and companies and manipulate people into thinking something they might not otherwise.
Voter fraud online is also a serious issue that can affect citizens of Ohio directly on things such as city councils, mayors, and issues that need to be voted on. Common Cause Ohio’s main goal is to promote democracy online.
Common Cause Ohio hosts virtual sessions that help people listen to conversations, how to report and spot fake news, and how to promote trusted and credible sources. Common Cause Ohio also has a blog where they provide links to slides, recordings, and other useful information.
People can sign up to learn more about upcoming events by following this link here.
For any questions feel free to reach out to Tiffany Rumbalski at ohsocialmedia@commoncause.org, and the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator of the Civic Listening Corps John Schmidt at jschmidt@ncoc.org.
Marquie Peyton
Intern