Media Manipulation Research Receives Support from News Integrity Initiative

Data & Society Receives Significant Funding for Media Manipulation Research

Data & Society Research Institute has secured substantial new funding from Craig Newmark Philanthropies and the News Integrity Initiative at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism to expand its Media Manipulation Initiative (MMI), the organization announced today.

The financial support will enable Data & Society to scale up its research and engagement efforts focused on combating disinformation and media manipulation tactics that threaten democratic institutions. The MMI takes a unique sociotechnical approach to understanding how bad actors game information systems, platforms, and search engines to spread false information and destabilize social and political structures.

“This integral support gives Data & Society the capacity to respond to rapidly shifting conditions in the field with appropriate expertise and to engage directly with media makers to develop insights and craft robust responses to new threats,” said Janet Haven, executive director of Data & Society Research Institute.

The funding will specifically bolster two key projects: the Global Media Manipulation Casebook, a research platform that documents the historical evolution of manipulation tactics and techniques, and the Civil Society Intelligence Unit, which focuses on rapid response to emerging disinformation campaigns. Additionally, the support will fund various research projects ranging from ethnographic fieldwork to applied research.

Craig Newmark, the founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, emphasized the crucial role of Data & Society’s work in safeguarding democracy. “Data & Society is on the frontlines, defending American democracy from those who seek to do us harm via disinformation and related active measures. The Media Manipulation Initiative is key to understanding how to safeguard the press–the immune system of our democracy,” Newmark stated.

The MMI employs empirical research methodologies to identify unintended consequences of sociotechnical systems and track emerging threats. A key goal of the initiative is to ensure that groundbreaking research reaches journalists, media makers, and civil society organizations in accessible and actionable formats.

Molly de Aguiar, managing director of News Integrity Initiative at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, highlighted the importance of Data & Society’s work in the current media landscape. “In order to build enduring trust in institutions and for democracy to thrive, we must tackle the pervasive manipulation of news and information. Data & Society’s research on disinformation is both groundbreaking and courageous,” she said.

The funding announcement coincides with Data & Society’s release of two new MMI research reports this month. These add to the organization’s growing body of work on media manipulation, which includes previously published reports such as “Dead Reckoning: Navigating Content Moderation After ‘Fake News’,” “Lexicon of Lies: Terms for Problematic Information,” and “Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online.”

The timing of this funding is particularly significant given the rising concerns about disinformation campaigns worldwide. As social media platforms and digital news sources continue to dominate the information landscape, the tools and techniques used to spread false information have become increasingly sophisticated. Data & Society’s expanded research capacity will help media organizations, technology platforms, and civil society groups better understand and respond to these evolving threats.

Data & Society’s approach is distinct in its focus on both understanding the technical aspects of how media manipulation occurs and the social, political, and economic incentives that drive such manipulation. This comprehensive perspective allows for more effective responses to disinformation campaigns that can undermine public discourse and democratic processes.

The expanded initiative comes at a critical time when trust in media institutions is at a historic low in many countries, and the proliferation of false information continues to present significant challenges to public discourse and democratic governance worldwide.