TRUTH DECAYInformation Disorder: A Crisis That Exacerbates All Other Crises
The Aspen Institute has issued a report analyzing the dangers of truth decay – the report’s authors prefer the term “information disorder” — and making a number of recommendations. In their introductory remarks, the authors write that “Information disorder is a crisis that exacerbates all other crises. When bad information becomes as prevalent, persuasive, and persistent as good information, it creates a chain reaction of harm.”
On 15 November, the Aspen Institute issued a reportanalyzing the dangers of truth decay – the report’s authors prefer the term “information disorder” — and making a number of recommendations to U.S. and world leaders to address that issue. The report was authored by the three co-chairs of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder, Katie Couric, Chris Krebs, and Rashad Robinson.
In their introductory remarks, the authors write that “Information disorder is a crisis that exacerbates all other crises. When bad information becomes as prevalent, persuasive, and persistent as good information, it creates a chain reaction of harm.”
Here are two sections from the report – a Letter by the Co-Chairs and
Letter from the Co-Chairs
Information disorder is a crisis that exacerbates all other crises. When bad information becomes as prevalent, persuasive, and persistent as good information, it creates a chain reaction of harm.
Information disorder makes any health crisis more deadly. It slows down our response time on climate change. It undermines democracy. It creates a culture in which racist, ethnic, and gender attacks are seen as solutions, not problems. Today, mis- and disinformation have become a force multiplier for exacerbating our worst problems as a society. Hundreds of millions of people pay the price, every single day, for a world disordered by lies.
In the face of this challenge, we would expect information disorder to be a central concern for anyone in society who bears the title of “leader.” Proactive leadership, rising from within every sector and institution in our society, is our only way out of this crisis. And yet it is sorely missing. The committed and powerful leadership we need is not yet the leadership we have. Accordingly, the biggest question we faced as co-chairs of the Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder was simply this: How can we help increase the breadth, depth, honesty, and efficacy of leadership for tackling information disorder?
The shared belief of the Commission co-chairs is that one critical catalyst for bringing about the leadership we need is the establishment of a framework for action—a path toward change. It must be paved with well-researched and real-world solutions, which people affected by misand disinformation can demand their leaders walk down. And it must be clear enough to help responsible leaders stay on track toward something real.
