Facebook 💣🐚, Do Fairytales Hold the Key to Disinformation: Inoculated Newsletter (28.10.2021)

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Hi, welcome to the newsletter in a week that was dominated by news gleaned from the leak of a Facebook document trove. A number of news publications are still working on the documents, and it's not clear how much information we'll still see.

📰News of the week:

1. Facebook researchers showed they could reduce COVID disinformation: Zuckerberg said no.
2. Did Facebook exempt hate sites from policy enforcement?
3. Academics and lawmakers asked Facebook to share insights on the spread of Covid disinformation. Facebook said no.
4. A Telegram COVID-19 conspiracy group was rife with antisemitism, according to LogicallyAI.
5. Twitter's home feed is actually biased toward amplifying conservative political content, according to Protocol.

➡️If you want to read up on all the Facebook stories, here's a link.

⬆️ Re-up of the week (First Draft, May, 2021)

Vaccine misinformation in Facebook comment sections: a case study

First Draft study offers insights into Facebook comment sections, where vaccine misinformation sometimes goes undetected.

First DraftEsther Chan

📝 Longform of the week:

Why people believe Covid conspiracy theories: could folklore hold the answer?

Researchers use AI – and witchcraft folklore – to map the coronavirus conspiracy theories that have sprung up

the GuardianAnna Leach

Where Facts Were No Match for Fear

Civic boosters in central Montana hoped for some federal money to promote tourism. A disinformation campaign got in the way.

NYTimesBy

🎁Bonus read of the week:

People Aren’t Meant to Talk This Much

Breaking up social-media companies is one way to fix them. Shutting their users up is a better one.

The AtlanticIan Bogost

📲Tweet of the week:

That's it for this week. Is there a story we should add to next week's newsletter? Someone we should interview on our podcast? Ping us!