The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes Nieman Fellow Jesselyn Cook and Berkman Klein Center-Nieman Fellow Ben Reininga for a discussion with Jonathan Zittrain on the spread and impact of conspiracy theories online.
From “Pizzagate” in 2016 to recent claims of the government controlling the weather in the wake of Hurricane Helene, conspiracy theories have shown they have the power to spread online in wide-reaching and devastating ways. How and why do conspiracy theories gain traction? How are news and social media platforms trying to curb the proliferation of these falsehoods? What is the impact of conspiracy theories on individuals and their loved ones, and what makes us susceptible to believing the unbelievable?
The Institute for Rebooting Social Media welcomes BKC-Nieman Fellow Ben Reininga and Nieman Fellow Jesselyn Cook to share their insights into how platforms navigate the spread of conspiracy theories, and the impact they have on individuals, families, and communities, moderated by BKC Faculty Director Jonathan Zittrain.
Speakers
Jesselyn Cook is an award-winning investigative reporter and nonfiction author who has written extensively about online conspiracy theories and their offline harms. Her new book for Penguin Random House, The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family, won a Lukas Prize. Prior to covering the tech beat at NBC News, she was a senior reporter on HuffPost’s national enterprise desk. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and international relations from New York University and is a 2025 Nieman Fellow at Harvard.
Ben Reininga is the former head of editorial at Snapchat, where he established partnerships with major news organizations, built protocols to fight misinformation, and worked to create a more engaging and diverse content experience. He led moderation efforts on Snap’s content surface, Discover. Prior to that he spent more than a decade in editing, video production and newsroom management. He is currently a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center, where he will focus on the rise of creator journalists on social platforms, identifying responsible ways to harness growing audience interest while maintaining credibility.