Research Matters: Learning from ‘the armpit of the internet’

This week's episode of Research Matters features misinformation expert Claire Wardle, discussing how today's information ecosystem has become increasingly polluted by misleading and emotionally charged content that spreads faster than facts.

Wardle, associate professor in the Department of Communication in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, spoke with Cornell Chronicle staff writer Laura Reiley about what spending time in what she calls "the armpit of the internet" has taught her about how people use, value and share information.

"Those spaces are communities," Wardle said. "And people feel something when they go there. They feel heard. They're told to do their own research. Then they turn up with their own research and people go, 'Oh, that's interesting.' But there's a sense that they're part of something."

The conversation also explored possible solutions-from media literacy and community-based trust networks to new models of journalism that help people navigate a chaotic digital information landscape.