We tried a digital marketing approach to combating disinformation and radicalization. Make credible info simpler, get it in front of people who wouldn't normally see it.

1. Deb Lavoy
Reality Team
deb@reallityteam.org
@realityteam11
First, lets stop
more people from
becoming
radicalized.

2. I’m a marketing strategist
and a technologist.
@realityteam11

3. Narratives
Attention
Conversion
That means I know a lot about:
@realityteam11

4. Digital Marketing Campaign
@realityteam11

5. Digital Marketing Campaign
Disinformation Campaign
@realityteam11

6. How we fight disinfo:
Platform changes
Moderation
Laws
Cyber
NatSec/Law enforcement
Education/Inoculation
Counter narratives
@realityteam11

7. My daughter.
- Hobbies: Snapchat,
TikTok, makeup, puppies,
and YouTube.
- “Political” concerns:
Women’s & LGBTQ rights,
Black Lives Matter,
poverty, and the
environment.

8. “Is Biden really a pedophile?”
@realityteam11

9. My son.
- Graduating summa cum laude, sports,
guitarist, surfer, yoga, health and
nutrition.
- Politics: Liberal, but everyone is lying.

10. “But Trump rebuilt the
military and Biden has
dementia.”
@realityteam11

11. • They see a lot of disinfo.
• Naïve. No nuance or history.
• Don’t get first-hand news.
• Can’t tell the difference between
truth, lies, and satire.
Why?
@realityteam11

12. How big is the problem?
@realityteam11

13. “When you get news
and information about
the coronavirus
outbreak, do you
generally find it…”
Difficult
50%
Easy
49%
… to
determine
what is true
and what is
not?
https://www.pewresearch.org/pathways-2020/COVIDINFODIFF/age/us_adults
U.S. adults

14. Reality Mythology
confused
@realityteam11

15. Reality Mythology
confused
Fear
Distrust
Lies
Helplessness
Awareness
Confidence
Capacity
Transparency
@realityteam11

16. lie
lie
lie
lie satire
Complicated
explanation
“child
trafficking”

17. lie
lie
lie
lie
Complicated
explanation
Satire
reality
reality
@realityteam11

18. lie
lie
Complicated
explanation
reality
reality
reality
reality
@realityteam11

19. Prevent
radicalization:
Keep people
connected to
reality.
@realityteam11

20. Pre-
radicalization
Exposure,
repetition,
first hook.
Isolation and
rejection of
others.
Indoctrination
and bonding.
Indoctrination process
“normies” “Red pills” “IamQ”
@realityteam11

21. M.I.L.
DAUGHTER
@realityteam11

22. 2. Change the ratio of good to garbage.
How to fight radicalization:
3. Break filter bubbles.
1. Make truth simpler.
4. Prepare people.
@realityteam11

23. Sara-Jayne
Terp
• Data Scientist
• CogSecCollab
• Community builder
I GOT SOME HELP:
@realityteam11

24. 2. Change the ratio of good to garbage.
3. Break filter bubbles.
1. Make truth simpler.
4. Prepare people.
@realityteam11
How to fight radicalization:

25. “Vote by mail
is fraud”
Disinformation Journalism

27. @realityteam11

28. 125
counter-
narratives

29. 3. Break filter bubbles.
2. Change the ratio
4. Prepare people.
@realityteam11
1. Make truth simpler
How to fight radicalization:

30. Jennifer 8. Lee
Who helped us win a grant
from:
shout out
We GOT MORE
HELP:
@realityteam11
And continues to advise/assist the
team.

31. We ran ads. Facebook and Instagram
$24,000
11 weeks
3.6 million impressions
1.1 million people
~900,000 clicks
@realityteam11

32. 1. There is appetite.
@realityteam11

33. 2. We can change the
ratio.
Take back digital territory!
@realityteam11

34. 3. It’s a bargain.
@realityteam11

35. Q1/Q2 2021 focus: Vaccines
- Lies
- Fears
- Facts
- Logistics
@realityteam11

36. This

37. Can’t
compete
with this

38. 2. Change the ratio.
4. Prepare people.
@realityteam11
1. Make truth simpler
How to fight radicalization:
3. Break filter bubbles

39. lie
lie
lie
lie
lie
lie
lie
lie Platforms make money
when you click. So they
show you stuff you’re
likely to click on.
Bad actors surround you
with lies and attention.
You lose sight of other
sources.
“Truth desert”
Filter bubble
Eli Pariser – TED talk
lie
lie lie
lie
lie
lie
@realityteam11

40. Ad targeting
- Swing states
- Non news nerds
- No strong political affiliation
- Youth 17-25
- Older women
- Trump-skeptical Christians
@realityteam11

41. Georgia Senate runoffs
Jan 5
- Voter information
- Fraud
- “Radical Socialists”
@realityteam11

42. What are
people afraid
of?
@realityteam11

43. Dec 1, 2020 – Jan 5, 2021
13 “socialism” advertisers
RealityTeam only counter narrative.
@realityteam11

44. 3. Break filter bubbles.
2. Change the ratio
@realityteam11
1. Make truth simpler
How to fight radicalization:
4. Prepare people.

45. #DirtyDisinfoTricks

46. • Reveal the tricks.
• Warning signs.
• How to check.

47. John cook: CrankyUncle.com
Mike Gordon: Propwatch.org

51. #FactFlood
@realityteam11

52. Build awareness.
Invite everyone to help.
Scale “Change the Ratio.”
@realityteam11

53. #FactFlood
@realityteam11

54. Ghost the lies
If you know it’s a lie – leave it alone. Lies
on social media get your anger to spread.
Every click, comment, share or reaction,
makes it more visible to more people.
@realityteam11

55. Share facts.
Credible info needs your clicks,
comments and shares! The
more good info we share, the
more people will see it and the
less room there is for lies.
@realityteam11

56. Take a sec to check.
We all get fooled sometimes.
Try a 30-second fact check: APNews,
FactCheck.org, Reuters, Politifact.
If you’re not sure, ask an expert – or us –
we’ll help track it down.
@realityteam11

58. To join #FactFlood, follow:
@realityteam11
Facebook/realityteam11
Factflood.org

59. Erik Boekesteijn
Nick
James
Nate
Rhyner
Lauren
Tiby
Rachel
Halle
Alessandra
Adriel
Thanks to:
Reality Team:
And to you.

60. deb@realityteam.org
@realityteam11
Facebook/realityteam11