Author

Joan Donovan

@BostonJoan

Dr. Joan Donovan is Director and Lead Researcher of the Technology and Social Change Research Project at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. Dr. Donovan’s research and teaching interests are focused on media manipulation, effects of disinformation campaigns, and adversarial media movements. Dr. Donovan’s research can be found in academic peer-reviewed journals such as Social Media + Society, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (JCE), Information, Communication, & Society, Social Studies of Science, and Online Information Review. Her research and contributions can also be found in the books, “Data Science Landscape: Towards Research Standards and Protocols” and “Unlike Us Reader: Social Media Monopolies and Their Alternatives.” Dr. Donovan’s research and expertise has been showcased in a wide array of media outlets including NPR, Washington Post, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, ABC News, NBC News, Columbia Journalism Review, The Atlantic, and more.

Can We Restore A Collective Understanding of Reality, Please?

Can We Restore A Collective Understanding of Reality, Please?

“Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” —VoltaireThe carnage on January 6 was precipitated by a lie that the election was stolen from President Trump.…
A Blueprint for Documenting and Debunking Misinformation Campaigns

A Blueprint for Documenting and Debunking Misinformation Campaigns

In 2020, amid a pandemic and protests and a presidential election, misinformation lays in wait everywhere. It’s on our social media feeds, coming out of the mouths of our politicians,…
Three Ways To Counter Authoritarian Overreach During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Three Ways To Counter Authoritarian Overreach During the Coronavirus Pandemic

As the world grapples with the spread of Covid-19, we see a wide range of individual national responses to the pandemic. Different countries around the world are seeking to both…
Vote and Die: Covering Voter Suppression during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Vote and Die: Covering Voter Suppression during the Coronavirus Pandemic

On April 7, 2020 a new slogan began circulating on Twitter during the Wisconsin Democratic primary: “Vote and Die.” The slogan is a play on “Vote or Die,” a 2004…
Trudeau’s Blackface: The Chilling Effects of Disinformation on Political Engagement

Trudeau’s Blackface: The Chilling Effects of Disinformation on Political Engagement

During election season, journalists should be ready for even more sophisticated attempts to plant false narratives and to spin disinformation via legitimate news stories