Truth, Trust and Democracy – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode Michelle explores why Wales, a small country in the United Kingdom, is trying to stop autocracy in its tracks, with a proposal to stop politicians from lying.

She talks to a sitting MP, legal expert and a democracy campaigner to understand what’s on the table.

This episode includes interviews with:

Adam Price, a sitting member of the Plaid Cymru Party in the Senedd, the Welsh Parliament.

Sam Fowles, constitutional lawyer and author

Jennifer Nadel, journalist and CEO of Compassion in Politics.

Publications cited:

Welsh Parliament Standards of Conduct Committee report

"Senedd Committee recommends crackdown on politicians who deliberately lie" - Nation Cymru News, 19 Feb 2025

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In this final episode Michelle Ainsworth explores why everyone needs strong media and digital literacy skills to help navigate our increasingly messy information ecosystem. She’ll also touch on the importance of civic engagement in a democracy.

She’ll talk to experts in media and digital literacy, civics, former US government advisors and leading academics in disinformation.

This episode includes interviews with:

Leo Pekkala, Deputy Director KAVI, Finland’s National Audio-Visual Institute

Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, former Executive Director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education

Michael Daniel, President Cyber Threat Alliance

Associate Professor Michelle Amazeen, Mass Communication, Boston University

Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security

Professor Amy E. Lehrman, Director of the Possibility Lab, UC Berkeley

Abby Kiesa, outgoing deputy director, Centre for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE)

Professor Jon Roozenbeek, Social Decision-Making Lab, Cambridge University

Publications cited:

Adult Media Literacy - Australian Media Literacy Alliance

Circle at Tufts University

NAMLE (National Association for Media Literacy Education)

Sir Winston Churchill democracy speech - UK Hansard 11 Nov 1947

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Michelle Ainsworth explores the tools that are being used to tackle misinformation and disinformation, while at the same time keeping a healthy information ecosystem that produces accurate, trustworthy and reliable information, while still exposing people to a variety of ideas.

She’ll talk to leading academics who work on pre-bunking initiatives, senior journalists and news executives, information integrity experts and disinformation specialists.

This episode includes interviews with:

Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”

Professor Rasmus Nielson, Former Director Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Laura Manley, Executive Director Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University

Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security

Dean Jackson, Democracy, Media and Technology Specialist

Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”

Professor Jon Roozenbeek, Social Decision-Making Lab, Cambridge University

Professor Sander van der Linden, Department of Psychology, Cambridge University

Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner

Publications cited:

United nations - Information Integrity

Bad News Game - Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab

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In this episode Michelle Ainsworth looks at why strong public service media organisations and local journalism are vital for keeping democracy in check at a grassroots level. She also explores the challenges facing political journalists who are working in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

She’ll talk to senior journalists and news executives, former US government advisors, information integrity experts and disinformation specialists.

This episode includes interviews with:

Tina Griego, Colorado News Collaborative

Associate Professor Michelle Amazeen, Mass Communication, Boston University

Dean Jackson, Democracy, Media and Technology Specialist

Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”

Kelly McBride, Senior Vice President Poynter Institute and NPR’s Public Editor

Jay Rosen, Journalism Professor, New York University and author of “The Citizens Agenda”

Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security

Professor Rasmus Nielson, Former Director Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

Professor Amy E. Lehrman, Director of the Possibility Lab, UC Berkeley

Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”

Associate Professor Claire Wardle, Department of Communication, Cornell University

Tina Rosenberg, journalist and co-founder Solutions Journalism Network

Publications cited:

Colorado News Collaborative

New forms of advertising raise questions about journalism integrity - The Conversation

The Citizens Agenda

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Michelle Ainsworth explores how the hype around Generative AI and the 2024 year of elections panned out, and why technology guardrails are urgently needed to protect democracy.

She’ll talk to experts in Generative AI and digital forensics. She also interviews former US government advisors, Australian election experts and disinformation specialists.

This episode includes interviews with:

Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner

Professor Helen Margetts, Oxford Internet Institute

Sam Stockwell, Alan Turing Institute’s Centre for Emerging Technology and Security

Professor Hany Farid, School of Information, UC Berkeley

Dean Jackson, Democracy, Media and Technology Specialist

Michael Daniel, President Cyber Threat Alliance

Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”

Publications cited:

UK Election Analysis - AI Election

AI-Enabled Influence Operations: Threat Analysis of the 2024 UK and European Elections - CETaS

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Michelle Ainsworth explores how social media has enabled misinformation and disinformation to disrupt democracies around the world.

She’ll talk to digital forensics and disinformation experts, senior journalists, and academics who focus on information integrity.

This episode includes interviews with:

Professor Hany Farid, School of Information, UC Berkeley

Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”

Professor Amy E. Lehrman, Director of the Possibility Lab, UC Berkeley

Laura Manley, Executive Director Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University

Associate Professor Michelle Amazeen, Mass Communication, Boston University

Renee DiResta, researcher into online manipulation and author of “Invisible Rulers” 

Nina Jankowicz, founder American Sunlight Project and author of “How to lose the information war”

Associate Professor Kelly Greenhill, Tufts University and author of “Weapons of Mass Migration”

Publications cited:

2024 Digital News Report - Reuters Institute

United Nations - Information Integrity

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In this episode Michelle Ainsworth explores the impact of rising polarisation in the media and the political landscape, and the impact that’s having on trust in democracy.

She talks to senior journalists, academics who teach journalism and others who are experts in information integrity.

This episode includes interviews with:

Dr Jan Voelkel, “Strengthening Democracy Challenge” Polarization and Change Lab, Standford University

Professor Amy E. Lehrman, Director of the Possibility Lab, UC Berkeley

Agustina Callegari, Global Coalition for Digital Safety, World Economic Forum

Associate Professor Clare Wardle, Department of Communication, Cornell University and co-founder of First Draft

Tina Rosenberg, journalist and co-founder Solutions Journalism Network

Professor Sue Robinson, Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Jay Rosen, Journalism Professor, New York University and author of “The Citizens Agenda”

Kelly McBride, Senior Vice President Poynter Institute and NPR’s Public Editor

Laura Manley, Executive Director Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University

Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner

Publications cited:

Strengthening Democracy Challenge - Stanford University

The Citizens Agenda

Solutions Journalism Network

Complicating the Narratives Framework - SJN

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Australia’s democracy is the 6th oldest in the world yet despite having an independent electoral system that’s the envy of the western world, vulnerabilities are beginning to crack.

2024 was dubbed a “super election year”, with more than half the world’s population eligible to vote in elections.

Former political editor Michelle Ainsworth travelled on a Winston Churchill Fellowship to the US, the UK and Finland. She hoped to explore why trust in democracy was declining while audiences are turning away from traditional news sources.

This is the first episode of Truth, Trust and Democracy, a new seven-part series that examines polarisation in politics and the media, the spread of misinformation and disinformation via social media and the impact of generative AI in elections.

Later episodes will look at the role of publicly funded broadcasters and local journalism, fact checking and media literacy.

This episode includes interviews with:

Marty Baron, former Editor of the Washington Post and author of “Collision of Power”

Agustina Callegari, Global Coalition for Digital Safety, World Economic Forum

Tom Rogers, former Australian Electoral Commissioner

Publications cited:

Edelman Trust Barometer 2025

WEF 2025 Global Risks Report

Strengthening Australian Democracy - Dept of Home Affairs

AEC Democracy Rules website

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