Unchecked: The architecture of disinformation
Misinformation and disinformation thrive in today’s technology landscape, and arguably present the greatest threat to modern society. Information architecture – the practice of designing and managing digital spaces – has an opportunity to intervene. This podcast looks at disinformation from an information architecture perspective, and considers ways to expand the practice of IA to address this new reality.
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What is Information Architecture? Information architecture is the practice of designing virtual structures – the shape and form of online spaces and digital products. When you click on a navigation menu or follow the steps in a process, you're experiencing the information architecture of a web site or digital product.
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What is disinformation? Understanding disinformation is the purpose of this podcast. We are trying to figure out exactly what it is and what it means. If information architecture is the practice of designing virtual spaces, then disinformation is something that can occupy that space to disrupt the user's experience. Alternatively, it is a way of manipulating the space (like flooding it with irrelevant facts) to achieve an end unrelated to the space's original intention.
Unchecked: The architecture of disinformation
Episode 10: Disinformation and nutrition, with Dr. Amelia Finaret
Synopsis
For the 10th episode of Unchecked, Rachel and Dan talk to Dr. Amelia B. Finaret, food economist and clinical dietitian about the state of nutrition misinformation. With the release of the latest dietary guidelines – some of which are not founded on sound nutrition science – we take a look at both the classic and newer myths around food. Dan uses the discussion to arrive at the lens of Making Hot Dogs and Rachel applies Diet Culture to our work as UX designers.
Stories
Robert Caro on Robert Moses
- Northern State Parkway (see section on 1929 compromise)
AI-Generated Disinformation in Europe
Interview with Amelia Finaret
- Amelia Finaret
- Dr. Finaret’s book, Food Economics
- MyPlate.gov (today)
- MyPlate.gov (from Archive.org, at the time of recording)
- Dietary Guidelines published by US Government
- Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act
- What to Eat Now, by Marion Nestle
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American Diabetes Association recipes
Lenses
Diet Culture
- How does the system send signals about the user's "goodness" based on what they are consuming or acting on?
- How does the system reward “good” behavior and penalize “bad” behavior?
- How does the system decide what is good or bad? Who gets to make that decision, whose world view is reflected in that framework?
Making Hot Dogs
- How does the system process original source material?
- What role does it play in the "supply chain" of information?
- How recognizable is the original source material in the system’s content?
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Personnel
- Dan Brown, Host
- Rachel Price, Host
- Emily Duncan, Editor
Music
- Turtle Up Fool, by Elliot
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Unchecked is a production of Curious Squid
Curious Squid is a digital design consulting firm specializing in information architecture, user experience, and product design
