Welcome to this episode of the Speed and Scale Podcast, where we dive deep into the intersection of technology, politics, and society's urgent need for fact-based discourse. I'm very excited to have Alex Mahadevan on the show today. Alex is the Director of MediaWise at the Poynter Institute. He's also a good friend and a former colleague with whom I had the chance to work for a couple of years and learn a lot about bringing the best of journalism craft into such a dynamic and digital intervention.Alex has taught thousands of middle and high schoolers digital media literacy and has trained hundreds of international journalists in verification and digital investigative tools. His leadership at MediaWise turned once an ambitious project into a north star for many groups to offer media literacy skills to people from all walks of life.In our conversation with Alex, we explored the evolving landscape of media literacy, the role of GenAI, and the future of our news ecosystem which first brought Alex with the same concerns he has today he had many years ago.Join us as we unpack these compelling topics with Alex Mahadevan and gain valuable perspectives on the role of media literacy on topics ranging from election integrity to protecting ourselves from financial scams.You can follow Alex here and here and MediaWise on every social media platform.Listen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.

Welcome to this episode of the Speed and Scale Podcast, where we dive deep into the intersection of technology, politics, and society's urgent need for fact-based discourse. Today, we're thrilled to have Katie Harbath, a global leader at the intersection of technology and democracy.Katie brings a wealth of experience from her time at Meta, where she led the Global Elections Team, overseeing the platform's role in over 200 elections worldwide. Her unique insights into the challenges and opportunities at the nexus of tech and politics are more relevant than ever as we navigate an era marked by rapid digital transformation and complex socio-political dynamics.In our conversation with Katie, we explored the evolving landscape of digital campaigning, the critical importance of safeguarding democratic processes in the digital age, and the future of political engagement through social media platforms. We'll also delve into Katie's current initiatives to promote digital literacy and responsible technology use, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more informed and civically engaged society.Join us as we unpack these compelling topics with Katie Harbath and gain valuable perspectives on the role of technology in shaping political discourse and democracy in the 21st century.You can follow Katie's work at Anchor Change and her tune-in to the podcast Impossible Tradeoffs here.Listen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.

In this episode, we dive deep into the heart of information integrity amidst General Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) advancements. Joining me are two distinguished guests: Sam Gregory, the Executive Director of WITNESS, and Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, the  Founder of the Tech Global Institute. Together, we explore the multifaceted challenges and pioneering solutions shaping the landscape of information integrity in the GenAI era. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on how technology, ethics, and human rights intersect in the quest to ensure reliable and authentic information for everyone. Don't miss this insightful conversation on "Information Integrity in the GenAI Era: Challenges and Solutions."Tune in to hear more about how the discourse around the developments in GenAI is shaped by competing arguments on several trade-offs and the challenging questions on access vs. security, offline harms, and platforms' inability to offer nuanced policies in the global majority countries.Sam Gregory is an internationally recognized, award-winning human rights advocate, technologist, and expert on smartphone witnessing, deepfakes, media authenticity, and generative AI. He has testified to both the US House and Senate on deep fakes and AI, and is a TED speaker on how to prepare better for the threat of deepfakes (https://go.ted.com/samgregory)Sabhanaz Rashid Diya is the founding board director at Tech Global Institute, a tech policy nonprofit focused on advancing equity for the Global South on the open Internet. The Institute convenes diverse voices to research, develop, and advocate for rights-based innovative governance frameworks to address the complex relationship between technology and society in the Global South.Listen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.

In this episode, I chat with the co-authors of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's recent report, ''Countering Disinformation Effectively: An Evidence-Based Policy Guide,'', Jon Bateman and Dean Jackson.We talked about different interventions to tackle disinformation, the challenges in data gaps, existing and forthcoming research on fact-checking, media literacy, and platform measures, and areas where additional investment is promising to generate impact at speed and scale. We even promised to have another conversation in 2025 after this year's wave of elections to do a retrospect on our collective efforts to counter disinformation.Tune in to hear more about Jon's and Dean's research and a thought-provoking conversation, including regulatory attempts around digital platforms in Europe and the lack thereof in the United States.Jon Bateman is a senior fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His research areas include disinformation, cyber operations, artificial intelligence, and techno-nationalism. Bateman previously was special assistant to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., serving as a speechwriter and the lead strategic analyst in the chairman’s internal think tank. He has also helped craft policy for military cyber operations in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and was a senior intelligence analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where he led teams responsible for assessing Iran’s internal stability, senior-level decision-making, and cyber activities. Bateman is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Johns Hopkins University.Dean Jackson is the principal of Public Circle Research & Consulting and a specialist in democracy, media, and technology. In 2023, he was named an inaugural Tech Policy Press reporting fellow and an affiliate fellow with the Propaganda Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, he was an investigative analyst with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol and project manager of the Influence Operations Researchers’ Guild at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. From 2013 to 2021, Jackson managed research and program coordination activities related to media and technology at the National Endowment for Democracy. He holds an MA in international relations from the University of Chicago and a BA in political science from Wright State University in Dayton, OH.Listen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.

In this episode, I chat with Valerie Stepaniuk, the Deputy Head of VoxCheck, a fact-checking organization from Ukraine.We talked about the disinformation tactics deployed by the Kremlin before and during their full-scale invasion attempt of Ukraine and how, as a fact-checking organization, VoxCheck identifies key narratives pushed by the Russian state and to what extent, if any, the recent Tucker Carlson - Vladimir Putin interview had any impact on the overall information landscape surrounding the war.Tune in to hear more about Vox Check's inspirational workListen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.

In this week's episode, I chat with Bill Adair, the founder of PolitiFact and a leader in journalism and fact-checking. Bill now leads the Duke Reporters' Lab, where he works on understanding and improving fact-checking.We talk about his journey from working at the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) to creating PolitiFact, a project that won a Pulitzer Prize and has inspired many, including me. We also discuss the challenges of fact-checking today, the role of technology in improving it, and his recent call for fact-checkers to make their work more visible to fight misinformation effectively.Bill shares his insights on the importance of fact-checking in today's world, where misinformation is a big problem. This conversation is packed with interesting stories and helpful tips for anyone interested in facts and how it's checked.Tune in to hear more about Bill's work and how fact-checking is evolving to meet today's challenges.Bill Adair is the Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism & Public Policy.One of 25 Knight Chairs at universities around the country, Adair's research and teaching focuses on fact-checking and accountability journalism.The creator of the Pulitzer Prize-winning website PolitiFact, Adair has been recognized as a leader in fact-checking and digital media. He worked for 24 years as a reporter and editor for the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times) and served as the paper’s Washington Bureau Chief from 2004 to 2013. He launched PolitiFact in 2007 and built it into the largest fact-checking effort in history, with affiliates in 11 states. In 2013, he managed the site’s first international expansion with the launch of PolitiFact Australia. He is the co-founder of the International Fact-Checking Network, the global association of fact-checking organizations.Adair has lectured about fact-checking and new media at conferences and universities around the world, including SXSW, TEDx Poynter, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Texas, Louisiana State University, the College of William & Mary, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Shanghai International Studies University, the University of Sydney, Netzwerk Recherche in Germany and the International Festival of Journalism in Italy. He has made hundreds of appearances on television and radio on programs such as the Today Show, Nightline, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Reliable Sources, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, and the Colbert Report.His awards include the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting (with the PolitiFact staff), the Manship Prize for New Media in Democratic Discourse, and the Everett Dirksen Award for Distinguished Coverage of Congress.Listen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.

Welcome to "Speed and Scale," where I delve deep into the frontline battle against misinformation. I will highlight the tireless efforts of fact-checkers, experts, researchers, and Trust & Safety teams across digital platforms, showcasing the critical work to safeguard truth and accuracy in our information ecosystem.In each episode, I’ll bring together the minds leading the charge in identifying, analyzing, and combating the spread of false narratives. From exploring innovative techniques in digital forensics to discussing the ethical challenges platforms face in moderating content, "Speed and Scale" will offer listeners an insider's view into the complex world of information integrity.Join me as I navigate the intricate dance of speed and scale in the fight against misinformation, hearing firsthand from those who dedicate their lives to ensuring that truth prevails. Whether you're a digital literacy advocate, a tech enthusiast, or someone who values the truth, "Speed and Scale" is your gateway to understanding the crucial role of fact-checking and information accuracy in today's digital age.Listen to previous episodes at speedandscalepodcast.com and engage with the host at baybarsorsek.com or on LinkedIn to join the conversation.Baybars Orsek is the Vice President of Fact-Checking at Logically and the Managing Director of its independent subsidiary, Logically Facts. Before joining Logically, he was the director of the International Fact-Checking Network and international programming at the Poynter Institute between 2019 and 2022.