Malign foreign actors are employing disinformation to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to advance their interests and undermine democratic integrity. Identifying, exposing, and countering disinformation is critical to preserving democratic integrity at the best of times, let alone times where public trust, good governance, and information integrity are essential to saving lives.
IRI and DoubleThink Lab (Taiwan-based organization that monitors online disinformation) and the Institute for the Future, Digital Intelligence Lab (a social scientific research entity focused on the intersection of tech and society) are hosting a virtual training for select partners to learn the basics of spotting and debunking foreign disinformation.
The interactive training will include an overview of common narratives and the strategic objectives of malign actors; the basics of digital forensics and the tools available; and leave-behind training materials to help civil society organizations and independent media translate the training into immediate action.