Whitney Phillips
Ideas Contributor
Whitney Phillips is assistant professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University. She’s the author of several books including You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polluted Information, coauthored with Ryan Milner, out from MIT Press in 2021. She doesn’t say much on Twitter at @wphillips49.
Beware Smokescreen Trolling, Trump Followers' Favorite Tactic
Trumpists have weaponized a new technique to win the ideological war. How pro-democracy voices respond to it matters.
Impeachment and Deplatforming Aren't Enough to Move Forward
To achieve true unity, we must contend with the underlying cause of our division—decades of conspiratorial messages, and sophisticated networks to spread them.
How to Have Productive Conversations About Election Misinfo
A holiday guide to navigating the deep swamp of polluted information.
The Election Will Bring a Hurricane of Misinformation
Here’s how to prepare yourself for the disaster online.
We Need to Talk About Talking About QAnon
Describing and debunking the phenomenon is not enough. We need to explain why and how it came to be.
It's Time to Defund Social Media
The algorithmically-warped information crisis can't be fixed with half-measures.
How to Avoid Spreading Misinformation About the Protests
There isn't always time, during a crisis, to be reflective in the face of harmful information. Here's a useful rule of thumb.
Anti-Quarantine Protests Are Dangerous and Weird
Please don't make them seem more normal than they are.
Lies About Covid-19 Might Be Deadly, but They're Not Unique
When this is over, a return to “normal” for content moderation would be a huge mistake.
To Fight Covid-19, Curb the Spread of Germs—and Rumors
We need to combat misinformation about the virus the same way we’re combating the virus itself: with a communitarian focus.
Please, Please, Please Don't Mock Conspiracy Theories
People have a lot of bizarre notions about Covid-19 and the 2020 elections—but if you have to laugh, just do it in private.
You May Not Even Know You're Spreading Lies
But here's a simple thing we all can do to make the internet slightly less terrible.
The Internet Is a Toxic Hellscape—but We Can Fix It
The first step to cleaning up the smog of disinformation? Embrace your anxiety.