1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: This episode talks about sexual assault, murder, and suicide. There 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: Are No Girls on the Internet as a production of 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Unbossed Creative. I'm Bridget Todd and 4 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: this is There Are No Girls on the Internet. Vanessa 5 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: Gien was a twenty year old soldier in the U. S. Army. 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: She loved sports. She played soccer and liked to jog. 7 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: In April, she went missing from the Fort Hood military 8 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: base in Texas. On her remains were confirmed to have 9 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: been found. Here's her sister talking to ABC News. She 10 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: was taking away from me the most horrible way, Yet 11 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: they take it if it was a joke. My sister's 12 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: no choke. My sister to human means just like me, her, 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: all of us. Aaron David Robinson, another soldier, killed himself 14 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: as police for trying to take him into custody for 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: her murder. Before she eyed, Gian told her mother that 16 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: she was being sexually harassed. Forthood is one of the 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: highest rates of murder, sexual assault, and harassment in the army. Online, 18 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: many other soldiers used what happen to her to come 19 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: forward to share their own stories about sexual harassment in 20 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: the military, using the call I Am Vanessa Gien. Her 21 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: family is demanding changes and how the military handles sexual 22 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: harassment complaints, and protesters around the country amplified her family's 23 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: demands for answers and change. Gian's death is a terrible tragedy, 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: and for as many people used her death to highlight 25 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: important conversations about how our country's institutions fail the very 26 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: people who fight for our country, others used it to 27 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: fuel hate and confusion. Online researchers and digital activists are 28 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: seeing the way her tragic story is being used to 29 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: feel disinformation in Latin X online spaces. Because her killer 30 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: was believed to be a black man, Big Facebook pages 31 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: began promoting stories about Vaness's death as a way to 32 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: sew divisions between Latin X communities and Black Lives Matter advocates. Unfortunately, 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: when it comes to how disinformation spreads online, this isn't 34 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: at all uncommon. Bad actors pick up on sensitive or 35 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: emotionally charged topics involving wedge issues like race and use 36 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: them to spread fear, confusion, and suspicion among each other. 37 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: They often exploit existing fractures between communities to pit marginalized 38 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: groups against each other. But because we don't actually spend 39 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: a lot of time talking about marginalized communities in general, 40 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: let alone how our identities shape the online experience. We 41 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: aren't talking about the big threat this tactic presents, and 42 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: it's a problem. So the first time that actually became 43 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: aware of how targeted are folks are was in two 44 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: sixteen when I saw someone on my Facebook posted a 45 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: picture of an ICE agent or someone who looked like 46 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: an ICE agent with sort of the eyes, um, you know, 47 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: acronymy the back of his jacket arresting someone at what 48 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: looked like was a polling location and um, it was 49 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: something along the lines, and someone had posted it said 50 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: be careful everyone, ICE is you know, around the voting locations, 51 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: and you know, when I looked at it closely, I 52 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: was like, well, this looks this picture looks photoshopped. But 53 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: that was sort of the first time that I saw 54 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: something that I was like, huh, they're actually somebody's actually 55 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: thinking this true and kind of knows the nerves in 56 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: the of the community in terms of the figure the 57 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: figures that exist in our communities, even though we all 58 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: know that, you know, undocumented people are not going to 59 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: go vote, but the message that we're trying to send 60 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: is like, you know, immigration is doing raids around voting locations. 61 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: You know, therefore people might just be fearful of going 62 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: because you know, some folks are living in mixed status 63 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: families and so on and so forth. So I was 64 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: sort of the first time that I saw something and 65 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: it just made me pause and think about the level 66 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: of disinformation that was spreading targeting the Latino community. Vanessa 67 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: Cardinas is a long time activist and policy expert. She's 68 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: seen the way that disinformation online plays on our community 69 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: sphere to create confusion, but when she saw the way 70 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: again stories being used online, she was shocked. So that 71 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: was actually really shocking, UM, because obviously the Vanessa Gillian 72 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 1: case has touched such a nerve in the community in 73 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: the sense of you know, this the soldier that you 74 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: know has dedicated her life for a country. So I 75 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: guess I would say, you know, probably like two weeks, 76 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: well maybe like a little bit right after they identify 77 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: the suspect of the case, you know, I would say 78 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: dates after it I started seeing some of these um 79 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: pictures in me is about UM pretty much about the 80 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: you know, the the suspected killer, and just driving this 81 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: message of you know, black and brown tensions and just 82 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: amplifying the sort of the message or you know, where 83 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: where is the Black Lives Matter movement when it comes 84 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: to a Latino that has been killed by a black person. 85 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: So that was again really eye opening. But I also 86 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: feel it was at least for me, by then, I 87 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: was already just I've been aware more of sort of 88 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: disinformation that's been spreading, so I was not surprised. But again, 89 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: I think it just speaks to the level of this 90 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: strategy that's out there about amplifying fear, distrust and just 91 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: creating wedges between these communities, which I think we're going 92 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: to see morals and there are these bad actors are 93 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: really using every opportunity they can to to actually, you know, 94 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: create this wedges. Facebook groups with big followings and reach 95 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: made posts about Gien's death asking why the Latin Next 96 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: community should support Black Lives Matter when a black man 97 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: killed one of their own. The intention is pretty clear. 98 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: Rather than amplifying her important story and her family's calls 99 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: for justice and change, is an attempt to use her 100 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: story to so mistrust and animosity between marginalized communities. Why, 101 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 1: researchers say it has to do with the upcoming election. 102 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: A Cobra Lacona is the disinformation research lead at ecky Slabs, 103 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: a group that works to build an active Latino electorate. 104 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: His team saw pretty much the same thing she did, 105 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: that Gian's story was being used to criticize Black Lives 106 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: Matter and the protests that followed the death of unarmed 107 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 1: black people like George Floyd by police. We started seeing 108 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: conservative on X accounts, including you know, Spanish language pages, 109 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: trying to build racial tension between black and LATINX communities 110 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: after they found her body and her death was confirmed, 111 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: and so we saw conservative Latin X actors starting to 112 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: criticize Black Lives Matter for not protesting her death and 113 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: for staying silent. And you know, after they found her body, 114 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: the man who was linked to her murder killed himself 115 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: either the same day or the next day, and so 116 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: we saw conservative Latin X accounts promoting you know, race 117 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: blindness around gain by amplifying the fact that the killer 118 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: was a black man and that you know, they started 119 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: promoting all Lives Matter narratives and things like that. So 120 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: we saw you know, different memes comparing the black man 121 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: who killed thee into the white police officer and essentially saying, 122 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: you know, promoting an arave that race has nothing to 123 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: do with Floyd's killing. Or we also saw bad actors, 124 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: you know, asking why Latinos weren't We're protesting for BLM, 125 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: but weren't protesting for other Latinos like Manessa. And so 126 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: you know, there was a lot of racial tension building 127 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: early on once you know, reports came once reports came 128 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: out and they found her body. So do you think 129 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: the people who were running these accounts actually cared about 130 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: sharing gian story? I mean, I think they're definitely trying 131 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: to make it like a wedge issue. And we often 132 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: see even in just in other narratives, bad actors trying 133 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: to you know, seek to inflame pre existing tensions within 134 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: in between communities. So you know, part of their goal 135 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: is to depress votes and more progressive communities, including the 136 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: LATINEX community, And so if they can build a wedge 137 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: between black and line X voters, that can you know, 138 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: potentially drive some of those people to Trump in November. 139 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: But I think one big problem here is that, you know, 140 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: within the LATINX community, we've kind of failed to confront 141 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: the anti blackness that exists in our own community, and 142 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: I think the far right definitely takes advantage of that 143 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: to stoke racial tension. So, you know, one thing is 144 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: important that we start acknowledging the anti blackness that exists 145 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: in our community and show unity. Um. And you know, 146 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: we should especially be doing this because again, like black 147 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: and LITEX are not mutually exclusive, you know, the far 148 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: right and many people in the LATX community tend to 149 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: ignore the after latin X community, and so especially they're right, 150 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: you know, the right is effectively excluding them from the 151 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: from their narratives and we should ignore. And I don't 152 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: think we should be ignoring that. So like going back 153 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: to Van Vanessa's death specifically, um, you know, I think 154 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: with an increase and attention on Black Lives Matter and 155 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: even you know, brands responding to current moments of racial justice, 156 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 1: we see a lot of bad actors looking for opportunities 157 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: to create division among communities of color. Let's take a 158 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: quick break center back. Facebook is a big part of 159 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: how this all goes down. For instance, the pro Trump 160 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: Facebook group The Conservative Choice has over a hundred thousand followers, 161 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: and many of their posts are dedicated to criticizing black 162 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 1: celebrities like Colin caprett black Lives Matter and calls for 163 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: racial justice. One post even accuses Facebook, the company itself, 164 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: of supporting racism by telling people to avoid Latino businesses 165 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: because of an initiative highlighting black owned business Similarly, online 166 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: protesters calls for businesses to hire more black people get 167 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: twisted into them calling for businesses not to hire Latinos. 168 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: Many of the other posts on the page our videos 169 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: or images depicting violent attacks on Latinos or Latino owned 170 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: businesses by black people to drive home the idea that 171 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: the Latin X community shouldn't trust or support the Black 172 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: community like a cobo. Vanessa also sees the ways that 173 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: anti blackness and the erasure of Afro latin X identities 174 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: have presented fractures and tensions and communities of color that 175 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: bad actors can exploit online. So, Vanessa, what kind of 176 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: content have you seen online being used to so division 177 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: within communities of color? Yes, so we're seeing a lot 178 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: of um the stories for example, UM of black men 179 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: violently attacking Latino men, you know, very graphic valent post pictures. Um. 180 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: That's one thing, and and I should say something also 181 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: bridge and that is that we know that there are 182 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: black people in the Latino community, Like we have a 183 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: rich history of Afro you know, of African descent in 184 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: the community, whether it's the Caribbean or pro and I'm 185 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: from Bolivia and even and even in Bolivia we have 186 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: Bolivians who are of African descent. So you know. But 187 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 1: but the way this um um discurrent disinformation efforts, you know, 188 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: what they're trying to do is just you know, make 189 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: us look like the other right, like separate us. So 190 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 1: you do have sort of, like I was saying, this 191 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: really graphic posts just amplifying violence that is incurred. That 192 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: is how they describe it or in how they posted 193 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: you know, by black men. There's also a lot of 194 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: content out there about painting the Black Lives Movement about 195 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: you know, that is violent. Um they have a lot 196 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: of content that's showing, for example that the Black Lives 197 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: Movement protesters are destroying churches or burning bibles. So really 198 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: going at sort of you know, some of the themes 199 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: of you know, Latino community. It's very you know, faith center, 200 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: and so they're trying to sort of agreeing to go 201 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: at this pressure point and hit those nerves where the 202 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: community on things that the community cares about we are 203 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: on the alien case. There's there's been a lot of 204 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: content out there amplifying that her that that the alleged 205 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: killer was black, and promoting the all Lives Matter narrative 206 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,680 Speaker 1: and questioning how come the black Lives movement doesn't show 207 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: up for Latinos when Latinos are being killed and so 208 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: on and so forth. So that's the type of content 209 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: we're seeing now and UM and again we know that 210 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: every time there's a flashpoint or every time there's something 211 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: that's happening just you know, a national the national level 212 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: or even at the local level. I mean, there was 213 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: a there were some posts I think it was, UM, 214 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,559 Speaker 1: I want to say in Luisiana about just about the 215 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: Black Lives Matter movement. UM. I think that there was 216 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 1: a demand that, you know, all businesses should hire people 217 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: of color. And but then how they were how the 218 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,680 Speaker 1: bots or the sort of the disinformation but actors were 219 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: trying to frame it was that the black Lives movement, 220 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: we're forcing Latino business owners to hire, not to hire 221 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: you know, non Latinos, so things like that, right, So 222 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: they're trying to again press this UM this this really 223 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 1: um specific issues in the community where they know that 224 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: it hits a nerve and just just amplify those. And 225 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: we know we're gonna be getting more of those as 226 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: things get just more heated as we come closer to 227 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 1: the election. We all truly blessed at the same time 228 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: to have a leader like President Trump, who is a 229 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: builder bad actors online sees on conversations that require sensitivity 230 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: or nuance to talk about, just like they had no 231 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: problem seizing on Gian's death to push harmful narratives online. 232 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: After Goya CEO faced backlash for praising Trump earlier this year, 233 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: some accounts purporting to belong to Latino social media users 234 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: used it to spread accusations of a mob of PC 235 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: bullies attacking a hard working community of color. But Wind 236 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: Black Polente, a group that trains voters to identify disinformation, 237 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: found that some of the accounts pushing this narrative were 238 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: actually bots online. The Goya controversy appeared to boil down 239 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: to Black Lives Matter versus the Latin next community. Ashley 240 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: Bryant works with Wind Black Polente, and she says social 241 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 1: media platforms aren't doing enough to curb the spread of 242 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: this kind of disinformation. We just experienced a couple of 243 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: weeks ago when the Goya CEO you know, decided to 244 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: share his support for Trump, UM and that came a 245 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: controversy in itself, but also unleashed a right wing operation 246 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: around UM, you know, trying to really disparage the true message. 247 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: You know, Julian Castro and UM AOC you know, really 248 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: stepped up and and shared you know, if you share 249 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: the values of Trump, you are not supporting our community. 250 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: And UM, you know, we saw a bot be unleashed 251 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: on Facebook within you know, a couple of hours, and 252 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: it took a couple of days before Facebook was able 253 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: to actually remove these um you know, fake comments, fake agents. UM, 254 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: and our operations saw it within a day, right, And 255 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: so it's just you know, there's hundreds of people in 256 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: their in their organization that are allegedly focused on this, 257 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: but yet we were able to identify that these were 258 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 1: boughts and just under a couple of hours. And so 259 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: you know, it really is um disheartening to see that 260 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: these companies aren't really ready to step up into this moment. 261 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: This isn't a partisan issue, right, Misinformation and disinformation is 262 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 1: not a political issue. It is literally to suppress entire 263 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: communities that need to exercise their right to vote, and 264 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: if these tech companies don't see it that way, you 265 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: really have to question what their purposes are. But that's 266 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: also saw the way that conversations around Goya oversimplified the 267 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: narrative online. But she says the narratives pushing division, even 268 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: when Trump himself picks up on it, probably won't resonate 269 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: much with most folks in the Latin next community. I mean, 270 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: I think they're trying really hard to sort of make 271 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: the connection. Obviously, even the Trump administration right picked up 272 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: on it, um, getting Ivanka to post that ridiculous UM 273 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: tweet with her holding um a kind of Goya being. Again, 274 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: I think they're just sort of trying to amplify the 275 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: wedges and just really indicates of Goya. You know, I 276 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 1: think that the average let you know, who's you know again, 277 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 1: losing their jobs because of COVID and just trying to 278 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 1: figure out how they're going to survive this pandemic. This 279 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:12,639 Speaker 1: is not something that resonates with them. UM. But I 280 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: do think again, there's online there's just this effort to say, 281 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: you know, Democrats are against business owners, Democrats are trying 282 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: to shut this down when we know that that's you 283 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: know that that was not the case. I mean, people 284 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,040 Speaker 1: have the thing that people had issue with, where the 285 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,400 Speaker 1: comments of the going a president who again is supporting Trump, 286 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: and Trump we know is driving a very dic divisive 287 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: and just really anti Latino agenda. So that that's the point. 288 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: And I think part of this again there is this 289 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: information effort is just to confuse the truth, right, it's 290 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: to just to to take attention from the real issues 291 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: and just focusing on sort of the specific narratives that 292 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: benefits them. And it goes along to sort of their 293 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: their overall frame that Democrats are socialists. The Democrats, you know, 294 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: don't believe in the Democrats, you know, are just just 295 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 1: driving a socialist agenda and they don't want anyone to 296 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: be successful. So so again it just goes off to 297 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: the broader narratives that are trying to push. Once an 298 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: official Trump Facebook page or even Trump himself signal boosts 299 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: these narratives, they can spread far and wide. Sometimes it's 300 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,000 Speaker 1: not even helpful to know where it's coming from, because 301 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: anything that's getting a lot of engagement, it's going to 302 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: circulate pretty far. You know, like Trump, for example, is 303 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: the biggest amplifier of this info and it allows other 304 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: bad actors to follow him, which can you know, really 305 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: increase conversations around certain topics. But you know, when it 306 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: comes to a lot in x spaces. There's a network 307 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: of conservative lat X Facebook groups that are part of 308 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: this movement called Lexi, and they tend to work together 309 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 1: and you know, coordinated tax across their network of pages. 310 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: So the luxA movement itself, it gained prominence in eighteen 311 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: as you know, an effort to help Latino's exit the 312 00:18:57,359 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: Democratic Party or the left and kind of embrace more 313 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 1: conservative values. Uh there's actually another one called lex It 314 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 1: which is a little more popular, and it's kind of 315 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: like equivalent for the black community and trying to push 316 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: more black people to embrace conservative values. But the network 317 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: of lex It Facebook pages, they have a wide range 318 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: in their audiences, so like depending on certain Facebook pages, 319 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: some have hundreds of thousands of followers, others have tens 320 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: of thousands of followers. But they frequently share you know, 321 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: misleading and factually incorrect narratives and they tend to coordinate 322 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: within each other, but also with the Latinos for Trump network, 323 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: which is an official like Latin X page for the 324 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 1: for the Trump campaign. So you know, when they're able 325 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: to coordinate with each other, they're able to you know, 326 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: push narratives to more feeds and allow more people to 327 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: see it. You might expect to see messages about people 328 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: on the left being godless socialists who hate hard working 329 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: business owners from a Facebook page that is explicitly advocating 330 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: for Trump. But a Cobo says that pages that appear 331 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: to be nonpartisan can sometimes present an even bigger threat 332 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 1: when it comes to this out of harmful narratives online. Yeah, 333 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: so I think the reality is that we often see 334 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 1: less partisan LANTICX pages help spread disinformation, especially around conversations 335 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:16,360 Speaker 1: that either resonate with the Latin X community or conversations 336 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: in the mainstream media. And the real problem is that 337 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: these nonpartisan spaces they often become more dangerous in the 338 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,679 Speaker 1: far right spaces because they appear to be more trustworthy 339 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: messengers and people tend to believe or trust what these 340 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 1: pages are promoting. So, I mean, even around narratives around 341 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: being it reached less partisan Lantic spaces. And for example, 342 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: I saw one Facebook page that was intended to bring 343 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: you know, Mexicans together and it has hundreds of thousands 344 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: of followers, and they're typically posting you know, more cultural 345 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: type things, but they started posting narratives around being that 346 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: period to try to build tension within the Latics community. 347 00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: And again, so like when they do that, these people 348 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: who are following these pages, they start believing in some 349 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 1: of these messages because you know, they're not in those 350 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: pages for partisan reasons. So these less partisan online spaces 351 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: that are created where people feel like there are a 352 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,919 Speaker 1: part of a community, but then this information comes in, 353 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 1: it's like the stuff around like the stuff around in 354 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: they're they're more likely to believe this these narratives. One 355 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: of our concerns as we look at how this information 356 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 1: is spreading is the fact that we're seeing some of 357 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: this content migrate from very partisan pages to nonpartisan pages. 358 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: Especially around the Venessa Gilian case and her murder and 359 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: all of that. We saw, for example, a lot of 360 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: Mexican organizing pages, you know that hometown associations and people 361 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: who really were following the case super closely to start 362 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 1: picking up some of these right and and they have 363 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: you know, thousands of retweets, and and that's the concern, 364 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: right and and again it's because it is. I think 365 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 1: that also the message for us, for progressives is that 366 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: it is so important to magnify our message, our message 367 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: of solidarity, our message of supporting each other's movements, our 368 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: message of you know that we're all in this together. 369 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 1: And I think that is the real that's the real 370 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: challenge for us, because we're not going to be able 371 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: to you know, what's happening on the on the right, 372 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: or in the circles or among these bad actors. We're 373 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:39,359 Speaker 1: not really going to be able to minimize that. What 374 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: we can do is inoculate ourselves and our community against it, 375 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: and that is by building trust affirmatively and intentionally and 376 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:57,400 Speaker 1: elevating trusted voices so that when somebody sees this, you know, disposed, 377 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,360 Speaker 1: they are like, wait, but you know, I saw some 378 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: but some another post from someone in my community that 379 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: I respect and I know, and they are posting positive 380 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,679 Speaker 1: content that it speaks about unity. So I think for 381 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: us that's the challenge, and how are we magnifying the 382 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: positive vision and the positive content um to actually inoculate 383 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 1: ourselves and inoculate our communities from this content. And it's 384 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: not easy. I'm not saying, you know, and I think 385 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: progressives right now we have our hands full. But I 386 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: think that's the challenge, um that we need to uh 387 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 1: create content, amplify content, not go down the rabbit hole. 388 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: You know. One of the actually the hardest things about 389 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: this information that we often share with progressive is don't 390 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,199 Speaker 1: amplify it because and that is actually harder than it sounds, 391 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: because sometimes people, in the effort not to amplify it, 392 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: they actually retweet it, you know, because there's or they 393 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: reposted because they're trying to debunk the claim. But just 394 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: by really you know, retweeting about it or reposting, you're actually, 395 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: even if you're saying this is not true, you are 396 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: in fact getting more eyes on that post. And that's 397 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: you know, that's the problem. More after this quick break, 398 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: let's get right back to it. Talking about disinformation online 399 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 1: is difficult, and because of the nature of algorithms, when 400 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: you try to respond to correct the record, you could 401 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: actually be accidentally amplifying it because you're giving it more engagement. 402 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: It's also important to keep in mind that this isn't 403 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 1: just stuff happening online. Disinformation has real consequences because it 404 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: translates to real world behavior and right now, with the 405 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: Latin X community representing a growing and important voting block, 406 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: it has big implications for the upcoming election. A Cobo says, 407 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: this kind of disinformation is meant to push Latin X 408 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: voters to either vote for Trump or to not vote 409 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: at all, like that phony picture of immigration arrests outside 410 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: of polling places that Vanessa mentioned earlier. This is kind 411 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: of personal for me. I've seen the way dangerous disinformation 412 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: has impacts on my own community. Communities of color have 413 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 1: good reason to be skeptical of our political and medical institutions, 414 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:18,959 Speaker 1: institutions that historically we can't always trust. But COVID has 415 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 1: just made everything worse. I see memes spreading false information 416 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: about COVID and the election being shared about people that 417 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: I love, and it just makes me feel so frustrated. Yeah, 418 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:34,160 Speaker 1: you talked earlier about the importance of inoculating your community 419 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: against this information, and I really felt that. You know, 420 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,919 Speaker 1: my people are black, were from the South. When it 421 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 1: comes to things like voting, it is not always as 422 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: easy as just going to vote. You know, in these states, 423 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,200 Speaker 1: there are voter ide laws and other kinds of barriers 424 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: to just going and casting your ballot. So I really 425 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 1: see a lot of disinformation being spread around voting and 426 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: particularly now with COVID. I've seen a lot of elders 427 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: in my own community posting things that I know where 428 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 1: rooted in this very real fear around COVID, and they 429 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: they I understand where it comes from. You know, COVID 430 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,360 Speaker 1: has ravaged black and brown community. So these so these 431 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: books are like, their concerns are very valid. It's been 432 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: a frustrating challenge to acknowledge and validate these very real 433 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:29,920 Speaker 1: fears in my own community, while also not letting people 434 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 1: that I care about give over to fear and spread harmful, 435 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 1: in correct information because they're fearful. It's been a challenge. No, 436 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: and I and I am so um connect with you 437 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: on the point, and I can totally relate. Um. You know, 438 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,359 Speaker 1: I am first generation. Most of my family or like 439 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: my aunts and uncles, they came here when they're adults, 440 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 1: so they are just you know, this is a I 441 00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:58,679 Speaker 1: think it's really important for us to realize that this 442 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: is a very difficult moment. It is a very confusing moment, 443 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: you know. And I think especially the older generation, they're 444 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 1: just like they just don't know what's happening. You know, 445 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 1: and they're they're fearful for the future. And there you know, 446 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,479 Speaker 1: they see what's happening, you know, in our country with Trump, 447 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: they see COVID, they see their employment gains being a race, 448 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: they see their incomes being a race, and they are 449 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,639 Speaker 1: help you know, we're the communities that are feeling the 450 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 1: brunt of the impact of the pandemic. Now on top 451 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 1: of that you add this whole you know, the the 452 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: new process of vote by mail. Right, it's it's a 453 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 1: new process for a lot of folks that they're not 454 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: familiar how to you know, request a ballot they have 455 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 1: they have never voted by mail, many of them. And 456 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: then the other the other piece of this is even 457 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,680 Speaker 1: for young people like oh yeah, they don't carry around 458 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: the book of stamps like some of us did. Right, 459 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: So when you think about it, you know, it really 460 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:57,359 Speaker 1: presents a lot of challenges and that's why, you know, 461 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: I think that again part of our challenge, just progressives 462 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: is you know, how are we what what voter education 463 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,919 Speaker 1: efforts are we implementing even in this era of COVID 464 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: when everything has to be done virtually. I think that's 465 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: going to force us to innovate. But also to have 466 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 1: those conversations that we've been putting off, because I do 467 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: believe that the best way to inoculate people is to 468 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: just have an honest conversation. And you're not going to 469 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,640 Speaker 1: be able to convince your aunt or uncle the first 470 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: in the first time, but I think just started to 471 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: have those conversations about what's happening in our country, you know, why, 472 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,719 Speaker 1: why their their voice is so important, UM and and 473 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:43,680 Speaker 1: how this process is changing, and just repeating that message 474 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: over and over again. I think it's one of the 475 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: most effective strategies and and and again. I like I 476 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: said earlier, the best way to inoculate yourself is like 477 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: when you have a trusted messenger, when you have someone 478 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: who's in the community who people go to for information. 479 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: Those are I think, um, those are the people that 480 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: are going to help us, UM face this really on 481 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: slaw of this information because they are the ones that 482 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 1: the community listens to. And that's why we need to 483 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: empower those folks with the tools that they need, an 484 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: information that they need, and you know, just help drive 485 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 1: that message in that positiveness and message that I was 486 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: speaking about earlier. M. So, what can everyday people do 487 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: to help curb the spread of disinformation and misinformation, particularly 488 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: in marginalized communities. Yeah, well, the first thing I would 489 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: say is just really be careful about what you're amplifying 490 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: online and what might seem harmless to you, Um, it's 491 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: probably not harmless, right, So just really always be mindful 492 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: of your sources and the message that the messages that 493 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: you're posting. So that would be the very first thing. 494 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 1: The second thing is, you know, it's informing your also, 495 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: especially when we talk about voting and because we know 496 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: that's actually going to be a big target of the 497 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 1: attacks and the disinformation moving forward, especially as we get 498 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 1: closer to election, and especially because the new processes around 499 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 1: both by mail, So really informing yourself themselves about the 500 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: the deadlines and the requirements on voting absentee or voting 501 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: by mail, so that you can share that information um 502 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: with your community and your loved ones. And and then 503 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: the third thing is again you know, just trying to 504 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: amplify a positive message, a message of unity and solidarity. 505 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: I think if we all we we do that, we 506 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: will go it will go a long way. Because right now, 507 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: but actors are trying to amplify fear. Therefore we need 508 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: to amplify a positive message, a positive vision for a 509 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: movement and for our country moving forward. Ashley's team when 510 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: Black Polante is taking this message to heart. Rather than 511 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: waiting for tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg to do the 512 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: right thing and curb the spread of harmful disinformation on 513 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: their platforms, her team is established a disinformation war room 514 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: to train Black and Latin X voters and other grassroots 515 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: advocacy organizations to spot disinformation themselves, and provides messaging tools 516 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: to counter with accurate information without amplifying it. Our strategy 517 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: is really teaching people that we don't want to amplify 518 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: the misinformation right that is counterproductive. But what we do 519 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: want to do is put in the space counter narratives 520 00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: while also educating folks. And so we have a daily 521 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: war room where we bring our team together to go 522 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: over analysis, go over our research briefs, and so it 523 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,800 Speaker 1: really adds another level of authenticity because it's not just 524 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: you know, our campaign that's trying to come in and 525 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: talk to folks, but we're working with these organizations that 526 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: have created a sense of community with with their not 527 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: just their online audiences, but you know, the citizens within 528 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: their regions. UM and we're able to really spread this 529 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: message of like, look, this is how you identify. These 530 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 1: people are trolls, They are bought. They are not trying 531 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: to appeal to you in any way beyond trying to 532 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: mislead you. And you should know this. And the only 533 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 1: way to fight back is to register and vote. Loosely translated, 534 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: the slang term polente means to go forward, and Ashley's 535 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: team at Wind Black Polente are working to help communities 536 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 1: of color go forward stronger in solidarity. You know, I 537 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:35,760 Speaker 1: can't help, but notice that your organization has two names, 538 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: Wind Black and Polente. You know, we see these narratives 539 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: being pushed by bad actors that there lots the next 540 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: community in the black community, we can't work together. We 541 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: have to be living in fear of each other. We 542 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 1: have to be suspicious of each other. Not only there's 543 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: this framework obviously erase the fact that there are plenty 544 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: of acro Latino's out there, but it's also just not true. 545 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: And I guess my question is how do we get 546 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,640 Speaker 1: to a place where we can present the truth that 547 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: our communities are stronger together? Absolutely, And I mean you 548 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 1: to have my answer. And in the last um in 549 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: your last sentence, because simply that's the truth. We are 550 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: stronger together and they know that, UM, and so they 551 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 1: want to do anything to divide these two communities. And 552 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 1: and you know, it's it's simply just discussing quite honestly. 553 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: I mean we most recently we're seeing this misinformation around. 554 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: You know, the Black Lives Matter movement did put out 555 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 1: a letter that was that was UM kind of describing 556 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 1: some of their demands, and we're seeing a lot of 557 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: right wing operatives that are bowling it down, taking out 558 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: a lot of the context with within the letter and 559 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 1: sharing that the Black Lives Matter movement are are against 560 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: immigrants or UM, they are you know, doing muffia tactics, 561 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 1: if if you will, which is simply just not the truth. 562 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 1: And they're spreading these untruths in a very broad manner, UM. 563 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: And so you know, it's really important for us, and 564 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: I'm glad that you underscored the polone because we do 565 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: have a Latin X focus and and because we want 566 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: to bring our two communities together in this fight. There's 567 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 1: so many critical issues um that both communities share, right, 568 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:20,439 Speaker 1: but also neither of these communities are monolithic, and it's 569 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 1: it's it's really almost um embarrassing to see that a 570 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: lot of these operatives think of our communities as such, 571 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 1: and so they're doing these tactics to really, you know, 572 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 1: it's almost like this distributed racism um to really put 573 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: these two communities against each other. And so we're really 574 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 1: building a sense of let's educate uh, Black voters, Latin 575 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: X voters, Let's educate folks on what are the issues 576 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: that really matter to us. Who are the leaders in 577 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 1: this space that are supporting our issues, are supporting our values, 578 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 1: and then also recognizing that again we're not monolithic. We 579 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 1: need to speak to voters as individuals and we're not 580 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:06,719 Speaker 1: just pitting everyone and you know, against each other. We're 581 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,360 Speaker 1: working under an administration right now that is trying to 582 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:14,280 Speaker 1: divide this country at every turn, and so it's really 583 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: important that as we are mobilizing and reaching voters that 584 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: at every step of the way, we are trying to 585 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: unite folks under one goal, which is to make sure 586 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,759 Speaker 1: that we have a democracy that represents our communities, that 587 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: represents our issues, and that is going to fight to 588 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 1: actually move our communities forward. Vanessa Gien deserved better, and 589 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: today she deserves better than having her story fuel mistrust 590 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 1: and hate in our communities, and we too, deserve better 591 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: than being fed the myth that our communities can only 592 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: exist in conflict with one another. Our oppression, like our freedom, 593 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,800 Speaker 1: is all linked, and until we're all free, none of 594 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,399 Speaker 1: us is free. To make sure that you and your 595 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 1: community have the right information you need to vote, go 596 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: to vote dot org. Got a story about an interesting 597 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,160 Speaker 1: thing in tech, or just want to say hi, You 598 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:07,400 Speaker 1: can reach us at Hello at tang godi dot com. 599 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:09,800 Speaker 1: You can also find transcripts for today's episode at tangdi 600 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:11,920 Speaker 1: dot com. There Are No Girls on the Internet was 601 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: created by me Bridget Tod. It's a production of I 602 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Unboss creative Jonathan Strickland as our executive producer, 603 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: Terry Harrison as our producer and sound engineer. Michael Amato 604 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: is our contributing producer. I'm your host, bridget Todd. If 605 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: you want to help us grow, rate and review us 606 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts. For more podcasts from I Heeart Radio, 607 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: check out the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever 608 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.