The Trusted Web Podcast

Joost de Valk is an entrepreneur and application software developer from the Netherlands who is best known for Yoast SEO. Joost started out as a consultant and blogger in 2004 before developing Yoast, one of the most successful plug-ins for WordPress.Tune in to this episode as we discuss the current landscape of search and AI, and the implications for both. Google and Bing have implemented new AI chatbots to create a more conversational technology for searches, but this also raises questions of trust and accuracy. Joost also speaks of large-scale AI models and their tendency to generate text without factual background.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/. 

My guest and I share a very deep passion for a trustworthy internet, and his name is Andy Parsons. Over the last few decades, Andy has been a CTO of over a dozen companies, a founder of several companies and a start-up mentor. Andy is currently a Senior Director at Adobe, overseeing its Content Authenticity Initiative. In 2019, Adobe launched this Content Authenticity Initiative with launching partners Twitter and NY Times., where the idea was to establish what they call Digital Content Provenance, which we will extensively discuss throughout this episode. Tune in to this episode as we discuss balancing permanence and flexibility in technology, how we can drive trust from mathematics, the role of open sourcing, and how the Adobe-led community has gained traction with creators, technologists, journalists, activists, and educators.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/. 

Scott Stornetta is a Grandfather, Teacher, Investor and scientific researcher – and an invention he did 30 years ago totally revolutionizes the world of tech today. In 1991, he and Stuart Haber, published the whitepaper "How to Time-Stamp a Digital Document”. This paper, in fact, could be described as the invention of blockchain. In 1992 this paper won the Discover Award for Computer Software; it's considered to be one of the most important papers in the development of cryptocurrencies as we know it today.Tune into this fascinating conversation as we explore inventing blockchain by proving its impossibility, the current state of trust and blockchain's role in fixing it, stakeholders in mass adoption of timestamps and Web3 – and Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and how to get there.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Karen Mahabir is the AP's Fact Check and Misinformation Editor, based in New York City. She has worked as a reporter, editor and producer for the AP in its Mexico City, Washington and New York offices. Mahabir also served as Managing Editor of News for The Huffington Post for two years and has spent many years working as a reporter and columnist at several newspapers in New York City and New Jersey.In this episode, we discuss what a Misinformation Editor does, live fact-checking, viral questions, ‘explainer' pieces, and the rise of citizen journalism. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Amy Mitchell is director of journalism research at Pew Research Center. She is responsible for the Center's research related to news and information, including how the public accesses, engages with and creates news, what news organizations are providing and how technology is changing all of these elements. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.In this conversation we explore the impact of people relying on social media as their primary news source. Tune in as we discuss private social media spaces, the rejection of major media outlets, and some key insights from the Pew Research Center's latest research.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Matt Carmichael is the vice president of editorial and content strategy for Ipsos in North America where he edits the award-winning magazine, What the Future. In addition, he is an author and keynote speaker who reports on trends, futurism, demographics and their impacts on everything from marketing, to product development to urban planning and transit.Matt shares on the show some powerful insights from his latest market research. We also talk about confirmation bias, synthetic media, the resources the media industry needs, why transparency isn't the answer for everything – and what makes him cautiously optimistic.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Helen Havlak, Vice President of The Verge, shares how the organization has built trust through different forms of content over the years. The Verge is an ambitious multimedia effort founded in 2011 to examine how technology will change life in the future for a massive mainstream audience. The Verge reaches 55MM+ US readers and millions of subscribers across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and email. Helen oversees strategy, operations, growth, product, editorial planning, analytics, and audience development.In this conversation, we discuss public ethics policies, the power of podcasting and audio, The Verge's ‘jobs to be done' framework, and how “it's never a dull moment to be a digital media company”.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/. 

Henry Pickavet is the editorial director of TechCrunch, which he joined nine years ago as a copy editor. Prior to joining TechCrunch, Henry had a hand in a number of online and print publications, including InternetNews.com as chief copy editor and Government Technology Magazine as managing editor. Henry joins the show to explore what makes a trusted online brand.Tune in to hear what's changed across the media landscape over the past decade. We also discuss the future of content discovery, virtual events, the relationship between diversity and trust – and being an avid podcast fan.For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Tonia Ries has more than 30 years of experience in marketing, research, strategy and media. She is Executive Director of Intellectual Property for the Edelman Trust Institute, Edelman's center for the study of trust and a learning laboratory for trust building between companies, institutions, brands and people. Her role includes stewardship of the Edelman Trust Barometer, the largest global survey and foremost authority on trust in institutions and brands.It was great having Tonia join me today to discuss the findings from their Trust Barometer research, and learning that the most trusted source for people is their employer. Tune in to this conversation as we discuss the impact of information distribution, dealing with the ‘infodemic', how we can all build good information hygiene, and what leaders can do with their organisations to reconnect with their communities. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

As managing editor, Scott Kraft oversees the Los Angeles Times newsroom, including Column One, enterprise, investigations and Sports. During more than three decades at The Times, Kraft has been a national and foreign correspondent as well as national editor and Deputy Managing Editor/News. He has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature writing, and wrote for the Associated Press before joining the Times. I really enjoyed learning more about how the LA Times have been handling accountability. Listen to find out more about the future of small newspapers, reporting on useful information, how the Times are personalising their journalists, and the mission to reflect the diversity of their community that speaks to them.

Anyone with an internet connection can be a publisher, so what does it take for business journalism to build trust with their readers? I'm excited to speak with Eric Schurenberg, CEO at Mansueto Ventures, to learn what they are doing. Founded in 2005, the publishing company is dedicated to serving business leaders. They publish the influential publications Inc. and Fast Company. Eric Schurenberg has been the CEO of Mansueto Ventures since 2018. Prior to that, Eric was the founding editor of CBS MoneyWatch.com and the editor in chief of BNET.com.Tune in as we discuss advocating your readers, having a symbiotic relationship with big tech platforms, and what we can all learn from business journalism.Links Mentioned Your Undivided Attention Podcast FastCompany.com Inc.com

The consumption and distribution of media has changed drastically over the past decade. Calling in from Bangalore, The Next Web's Managing Editor Abhimanyu Ghoshal joins the show to reflect on what the major shifts have been. TNW is a global digital brand that manages several initiatives focused on international technology news, business, and culture to inform, inspire and connect people who love tech.We explore niche-based content, empowering readers to debunk misinformation, what makes a reliable review, how TNW measures readership loyalty, and new ways of telling stories. Links MentionedAbhimanyu's interview on the BBC World ServiceTNW article on India's handling of the pandemicEpisode 10: Blockchain in the Newsroom with Dwayne Desaulniers

BuzzFeed is the leading independent digital media and tech company delivering news and entertainment content to a global audience. Mark Schoofs joins the show to share about his role as Editor in Chief at BuzzFeed News, and what the state of media and journalism looks like today.Over the course of his 30 year career, Mark has earned a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on AIDS in Africa at The Village Voice, shared in another Pulitzer Prize at The Wall Street Journal for reporting on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and created BuzzFeed News's investigations team, which is now a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and winner of the Polk and National Magazine Awards. Join us as we discuss innovative ways of reporting, the democratic impact of the printing press, the profitability of breaking news and what the future of local journalism looks like.Links Mentioned Power of Narrative 2015: Mark Schoofs Danielle Belton's Twitter Mark's Twitter Mark at USC Annenberg

As POLITICO's Editor-in-Chief, Matt Kaminski oversees all editorial operations of the publication. Starting as a freelancer from Eastern Europe before his senior year in college, Matt has reported on international affairs, politics and business on and off for the past quarter century. He joined POLITICO in late 2014 to become the founding editor of the European edition, which launched in April 2015. He moved to Washington in the fall of 2018 to help lead the publication's global expansion efforts, and took on his current role in April 2019.Join us as we explore why he's optimistic about the current media space, some “Trump withdrawal symptoms”, the power of sharing journalists' notes and experimenting with different mediums to tell stories. Links MentionedPOLITICO

Katherine Bell is Editor-In-Chief at Quartz. She previously served as editor-in-chief of Barron's magazine, from 2017 until earlier in 2019. Before that, she worked at Harvard Business Review for a decade and was the editor of HBR.org. In both roles, she led the digital transformation of iconic print publications.Tune into this episode as we discuss how journalism has changed over the last year – and why more newsrooms need to be more progressive with their business models. We discuss service and investigative journalism, how the Quartz newsroom has become more inclusive in light of George Floyd's death, not writing in euphemisms – and how journalists are becoming more data-savvy.  Links Mentioned Substack Quartz

Christophe Deloire’s career trajectory is impressive. He ran one of the leading French journalism schools, the CFJ, from 2008 to 2012, and was an investigative reporter for the politics and society sections of the French news magazine Le Point from 1998 to 2007. He has also worked for the TV channels ARTE and TF1, made documentary films, edited several authors and written several bestsellers. Christophe is currently the General Secretary and Executive Director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Calling in from France, Christophe shares how we can all support great journalism.I’m excited to speak with Christophe to learn more about his work. We also discuss developing a standard for journalism, focusing on market regulation not content regulation, the role of blockchain technology, and having a good process in place to combat the spread of fake news.Links Mentioned Christophe’s LinkedIn RSF index 2021 Reporters Without Borders The Forum on Information and Democracy The Journalism Trust Initiative

Fil is a Professor of Informatics and Computer Science, and the former director at the Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research – a research unit of the Indiana University School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering. He joins the show to explore what he has learnt from accessing platform data, from his current role as Director of The Observatory on Social Media.Things are changing fast so in this interview I take stock with Fil to review the impact of regulation. Through community reviews, accessing platform data and social bots – we explore what all stakeholders need to be doing.Links Mentioned Twitter @bluesky The Observatory on Social Media

‘Fake news’ has multiple definitions, which can be a problem. Ferdi Özsoy helps to highlight the main types of misinformation, and how individuals can be best equipped with consuming online content. As the Program Manager at the Poynter Institute, Ferdi joins the show today to distill the core principles that drive the success of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) – a unit of the Poynter Institute dedicated to bringing together fact-checkers worldwide.The Poynter Institute is a non-profit journalism school and research organization located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Join our conversation as we explore the work they’re doing at the institute, the impact of globalised misinformation, the IFCN’s toolbox for fact-checkers – and garlic and vinegar.Links Mentioned ‘Fake news. It's complicated.’ by Claire Wardle Global Fact Conference International Fact-Checking Network fact-checkers’ code of principles Coronavirus Fact-Check Alliance Solving Misinformation through Journalism with Steven Brill, Co-founder and Co-CEO, NewsGuard Misinformation Cycles with Alan Duke, Co-founder, Lead Storie‪s Birdwatch Poynter.org International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN)

Today’s guest extensively researches about the focus on exposure to and correction of misinformation on social media. Dr. Leticia Bode is an Associate Professor in the Communication, Culture, and Technology master’s program at Georgetown University. She joins me on the show to explore the problems with measuring fake news, and the current state of misinformation on social media and how we can correct it. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

As a Philosopher by trade, Justin McBrayer is not afraid to ask the big questions. I bring Justin on the show to learn more about his research and his latest book ‘Beyond Fake News: Finding the TRUTH in a world of misinformation’. Justin is also a teacher, speaker and writer. Much of his work focuses on helping ordinary individuals and political bodies to think consistently and carefully about the problems they encounter, the values they embrace, and the evidence they've gathered. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

A lot has happened since 1994, when David Mikkelson founded the fact-checking website Snopes, formerly known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages. It was great speaking with David to learn more about how the sharing of questionable content has evolved into something very sophisticated today. For full show notes, visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Today’s guest comes with a really broad perspective. Costanza Sciubba Caniglia is currently a subject-matter expert at Wikimedia, and is a journalist and researcher in political analysis and communications for government and international organizations. I bring Constanza on the show to learn more about the cultural differences with disinformation. For full show notes, visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Ever find you can’t keep up with the news? In today’s world of 24/7 information – and misinformation – Arjun Moorthy, co-founder of The Factual, came up with a solution to deliver unbiased news and trending topics right to your inbox. I catch up with Arjun to find out how they are solving the problem of misinformation through this format. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast

Today’s guest is a real expert when it comes to communications. Tim Ward advises, trains and coaches environmental and development organisations to use effective communications to achieve their goals. In this interview we explore what we can learn from the Pro-Truth Pledge – an initiative that promotes truth seeking and rational thinking, particularly in politics. For full show notes, visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Dan Gillmor is an internationally recognized leader in new media and digital media literacy. He's the author of Mediactive, which explores media literacy in the digital age from a journalist’s perspective. He launched The News Co/Lab in 2017, where their mission is to help ensure an informed citizenry – a fundamental building block of democracy. For full show notes, visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

There’s no doubt that the state of fake news today is strong, and today’s guest Richard Zack, CEO & CTO of Our.News, shares how “the Internet is a super spreader event for fake news”. I found today’s conversation empowering as we discussed how the solution to this issue will come from working together. For full show notes visit: https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

It’s been a remarkable 15 years for the news industry. Today’s guest, Dwayne Desaulniers from Associated Press, joins the show to run through their amazing use case with blockchain – calling the election on blockchain. The timing couldn’t be any better with the 2020 US elections. For full show notes, visit: https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Join my conversation with Paul as we discuss his definition of “Iffy” sites, the operational problems involved with solving fake news, and his idea on verifying content before it goes live. For full show notes visit: https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

I really enjoyed catching up with Alan to learn more about how content goes viral. Tune in as we discuss the evolution of technology in journalism, the recycling of stories and claims, and examples of his work with Facebook and TikTok – and Oculus goggles. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

I was so excited to speak with Pamposh and learn more about the media landscape in India. In this conversation we delve into the country’s biggest challenges, which includes operating in different languages and dealing with illiteracy. Tune in to learn more about The Google News Initiative, the difference between misinformation and disinformation, and how misinformation is costing lives in India. For full show notes visit https://thetrustedweb.org/podcast/.

Online Anonymity is to be cherished according to Ed Bice, CEO of Meedan, a global technology not-for-profit that builds software and programmatic initiatives to strengthen journalism, digital literacy, and accessibility of information online and off.

Alan and I share a passion for a more truthful internet, and we both choose the route of building a whole category as an important way of achieving it, in Alan’s case: news literacy.

In order to better understand Fake News, we need to understand its history. Nolan’s book ‘The Anatomy of Fake News’ provides a very comprehensive understanding of this. He believes that although we can’t ever get rid of Fake News, the solution is to be better informed.

We explore radical conspiracies, the impact of living in separate realities, the implications of freedom of reach, and why we need to keep on learning from other countries to move forward.

I’m excited to be joined by Steve as he’s a true expert when it comes to hoax sites and knowing what platforms like Facebook need to do to be held accountable.

To save the world, we need to fix the internet. And here's how!