Talk given at the workshop 'How Can Public Interest Journalism Hold Algorithms to Account?' at the University of Cambridge on 23 March 2017. More about the talk can be found here: http://lilianabounegru.org/2017/03/27/fake-news-algorithmic-accountability-data-journalism-post-truth-university-of-cambridge/ More about the workshop can be found here: http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/events/27130

1. Fake News, Algorithmic Accountability and the
Role of Data Journalism in the Post-Truth Era
Liliana Bounegru (@bb_liliana)
University of Groningen (NL)
University of Ghent (BE)
Digital Methods Initiative, University of Amsterdam (NL)
Jonathan Gray (@jwyg)
Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath (UK)
Digital Methods Initiative, University of Amsterdam (NL)

3. BACKGROUND
PREVIEW
NEXT STEPS

4. BACKGROUND
PREVIEW
NEXT STEPS

8. FROM CONTENT TO CIRCULATION?

12. BACKGROUND
PREVIEW
NEXT STEPS

13. FOUR PROPOSITIONS FOR THE STUDY OF FAKE NEWS
1. Not an unitary fake news phenomenon but
different shades of fakeness.
The case of Russian information campaigning
online.
2. False knowledge claims are not born fake
news; they are inseparable from the publics,
platforms and infrastructures that make them
possible.
Mapping the circulation and publics of fake news
online.
3. Successful fabrications are not limited to the
“news” format; different formats perform well
on different platforms.
The case of memes as vectors of post-truth politics
on Facebook.
4. Difference between ‘real’ and ‘fake’ news not
just about claims being made; they are
underpinned by different production histories.
The techno-commercial infrastructure of fake
news.

14. 1. DIFFERENT SHADES OF FAKENESS:
THE CASE OF RUSSIAN INFORMATION
CAMPAIGNING ONLINE

18. 2. FALSE KNOWLEDGE CLAIMS ARE
NOT BORN FAKE NEWS
MAPPING THE CIRCULATION AND
PUBLICS OF FAKE NEWS ONLINE

20. 2.1 MAPPING FAKE NEWS
HOTSPOTS ON FACEBOOK

25. 2.2 MAPPING THE CIRCULATION
OF FAKE NEWS WITH GOOGLE

30. 3. BEST PERFORMING
FORMATS OF FAKENESS
FROM “FAKE NEWS” TO MEMES

36. 4. ‘REAL’ AND ‘FAKE’ NEWS HAVE
DIFFERENT PRODUCTION HISTORIES
THE TECHNO-COMMERCIAL
INFRASTRUCTURES OF FAKE NEWS

42. FAKE NEWS AND
ALGORITHMIC ACCOUNTABILITY

44. BACKGROUND
PREVIEW
NEXT STEPS

45. M. S. Abildgaard, A. Birkbak, L. Bounegru, J. Gray, M. Jacomy, A. K. Madsen, A.
K. Munk (forthcoming) “Fake News: Seven Lines of Inquiry”.

49. DATA SPRINT IN AMSTERDAM
50+ RESEARCHERS
5 DAYS
Project facilitators: Liliana Bounegru, Jonathan Gray, Richard Rogers, Tommaso Venturini, Mathieu Jacomy, Erik Borra, Marc Tuters,
Natalia Sanchez, Esther Weltevrede, Sabine Niederer, Nicolas Baya-Laffite, Bilel Benbouzid, Anders Munk, Alex Gekker.
Analysts: Lisanne Blomberg, Michel Blonk, Talia Castellanos Usigli, Ecesu Erol, Maria Hayat, Stefani Mans, Marlene Scherf, Zoë
Versteegen, Pieter Vliegenthart, Stefanie Voortman, Mintsje de Witte, Manon van Hoek, Charlotte Leclercq, Cristiaan van Wijk, Joep
Voorn, Sal Hagen, Lieke Kersten, Daniela Demarchi, Katerina Gladkova, Rina Tsubaki, Kaspar Beelen, Daniel Bach, Anders Grundtvig,
Asger Gehrt Olesen, Asbjørn Fleinert Mathiasen, Mischa Benjamin Szpirt, Emil Grosby Jørgensen, Ronja Ingeborg Lofstad, Antonio
Martella, Emillie Victoria de Keulenaar, Carlo Santagiustina.
Graphic designers: Tommaso Elli, Angeles Briones, Gabriele Colombo, Carlo Gaetano, Mariasilvia Poltronieri, Michele Invernizzi, Agata
Brilli.
Programmers: Emile den Tex, Erik Borra, Jorn Preuss.