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47People

How to fight disinformation

It’s nothing new, says historian of media, and we can learn from the past.

Original reporting by Richard Littlemore

How to fight disinformation
PeopleIt’s nothing new, says historian of media, and we can learn from the past. Following the Arab Spring uprisings of the early 2010s, there was a flood of optimism about social media’s potential to unleash democracy around the world. “If you want to liberate a society, just give them the Internet,” said activist and Google executive Wael Ghonim after Egypt’s Mubarak regime was toppled. Many believed that Facebook, Twitter, and other digital platforms would amplify marginalized voices and hold the powerful accountable.Photo: Richard Littlemore

Where the work begins

It’s nothing new, says historian of media, and we can learn from the past.

What follows

Further reporting continues across the university network.

At a glance

  • Campus: UBC Vancouver & Okanagan (Point Grey & Kelowna)
  • Focus: Alumni leadership & practice (People)
  • Outcome: Verified reporting (September 2026 issue)
Sources 1
  1. Original reporting · magazine.alumni.ubc.ca

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This story is from the September 2026 issue of Alumni Digest · UBC. It's free, monthly and independent.

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Alumni Digest is independent and is not an official University of British Columbia publication. Stories summarize the public reporting linked under each piece; photographs belong to the credited sources and remain under rights review.