iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 19/03/2026

Reposted by Guy Berger

I don't really feel like the press coverage of the metaverse implosion honestly captures the access tech press' role in propping up Mark Zuckerberg's fake innovation mythology if you go back and read "journalism" from this era, 97% was indistinguishable from advertorial

Headline: "At SXSW, Mark Zuckerberg says metaverse is 'Holy Grail' of social experience"

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Reposted by Guy Berger

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

One of the craziest things about Musk-era twitter is that because linking to anything is penalized by the algo, no one uses links and you have NO IDEA where any of the info you see is coming from. It's madness!

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

How do you say something different to what an AI service would? One way is to use AI-generated images. Specifically, rock art style African animals to convey a message to the SADC’s forum of Election Management Bodies (EMBs), for their AGM in eSwatini in December. commspolicy.africa?page_id=134

commspolicy.africa

Latest news

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

"AI systems are reshaping Africa’s relationship with the global economy, determining whether the continent remains locked into extractive relationships or develops genuine technological sovereignty." And journalists are missing this story. www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...

dailymaverick.co.za

African media must follow the money and treat AI as a story about power, not tech

AI systems are reshaping Africa’s relationship with the global economy, determining whether the continent remains locked into extractive relationships or develops genuine technological sovereignty.

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Reposted by Guy Berger

Dr. Chinasa T. Okolo @chinasa.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

My new piece, “AI is Not Africa’s Savior: Avoiding Technosolutionism in Digital Development,” is published on @brookings.edu! I reflect on the need to put the lived experiences and needs of African communities over AI hype, which is becoming prominent. www.brookings.edu/articles/ai-...

brookings.edu

AI is not Africa’s savior: Avoiding technosolutionism in digital development | Brookings

Chinasa T. Okolo discusses how Africa can ensure AI progress serves the contitnent's broader goals of social and economic empowerment.

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Reposted by Guy Berger

kate conger @kateconger.com · 25/07/2025

Between Musk & the Trump administration, Media Matters has been squeezed to the brink. In settlement discussions, lawyers for X demanded the organization hand over all its cash and shut down — all because MM reported ads appeared on X next to antisemitic content. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/u...

nytimes.com

Under Siege From Trump and Musk, a Top Liberal Group Falls Into Crisis

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

A new policy brief gives a little-heard perspective on AI. Informed by African interests in the 2025 processes of the G20, the authors signal potent connections and problems within the international AI tech stack www.linkedin.com/posts/guy-be...

linkedin.com

A new policy brief gives a little-heard perspective on AI. | Guy Berger

Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

A call for the G20 to come out in support of payment by AI companies for scraping news websites: media20.org/wp-content/u...

media20.org

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Africa's Continental AI Strategy now has an implementation plan. The African Alliance for Access to Data (I'm convenor), urges the plan to reference: the relevance of Right to Information systems, Open Science & work towards Guidelines on access to data. dataalliance.africa/alliance-hig...

dataalliance.africa

Alliance highlights data access as key for implementing the AU’s Continental AI Strategy - African Alliance for Access to Data

Data access is a critical component for implementing the African Union's Continental AI Strategy. To realise this point, tpecific text can be added to the implementation plan for the Strategy

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Can media get any mileage with the concept of "information integrity" and the 2025 agenda of the G20 countries? South African editors see possibilities media20.org/2025/05/16/m...

media20.org

M20 policy brief: Information Integrity - Media20

Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Four categories of human rights are recognised by the African Union's draft study of AI, making for unique reading. But missing is access to data as part of the right to information as concerns digital dynamics. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

linkedin.com

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has published its… | Guy Berger

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has published its Draft Study on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and Other New and Emerging Technologies in Af...

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

You've heard it's World Press Freedom Day, I hope. Needed more than ever. But where did it originate? With African journalists in 1991. You can see the story here: action-namibia.org/wp-content/u...

action-namibia.org

Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

achpr.au.int/en/news/pres... On World Press Freedom Day, the ACHPR encourages "the media profession to make ethical use of AI systems in their operations and to be a watchdog that reports on the societal risks as well as opportunities of AI."

achpr.au.int

World Press Freedom Day

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 03 May 2025

Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

The African Union notes "with deep concern the recent regress by technology companies with regard to information integrity ..." & calls for "developing guidelines to ensure a public interest element for all platforms operating in Africa" achpr.au.int/en/adopted-r... achpr.au.int/en/adopted-r...

achpr.au.int

Resolution on developing Guidelines to assist States monitor technology companies in respect of their duty to maintain information integrity through independent fact checking - ACHPR/Res.630 (LXXXII) ...

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) meeting at its 82nd Ordinary Session, held virtually from 25 February to 11 March 2025:

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Lots to do with data! This research uncovers where African elections are heading in terms of stakeholder use of data. Which group will get on top of the game first - Electoral commissions, political parties, researchers, FIMI actors? researchictafrica.net/2025/01/23/f...

researchictafrica.net

Forthcoming report on data policy systems for democratic processes

Forthcoming research for the Advancing the Governance of Data for Development in Africa project shows five challenges regarding data access in African elections. Selected findings were shared in Decem...

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Reposted by Guy Berger

Paul Krugman @pkrugman.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

I wrote for The Contrarian about my decision to leave the New York Times contrarian.substack.com/p/departing-...

contrarian.substack.com

Departing the New York Times

I left to stay true to my byline

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Excerpt from Kentridge clip on Mayakovsky

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2016, Kentridge and colleagues created the Centre for the less good idea... So the periphery comes into centre

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Jean-Paul Marthoz @jpmarthoz.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Kentridge recalls getting Mayakovsky's plays, while a student, which still today conveys energy and creativity to him as a reader

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Reposted by Guy Berger

The Israeli authorities did not allow foreign journalists' access to Gaza, except embedded with the IDF, and at the same time, lambasted Gaza-trapped Palestinian journalists as biased or "militants". The news impasse must cease, say press freedom groups. www.cbc.ca/news/world/j...

cbc.ca

3 Palestinian journalists on covering the war in Gaza — and surviving it | CBC News

As foreign media members were not allowed into the Gaza Strip, the responsibility for reporting fell on the shoulders of local journalists who shot footage of their neighbours and sometimes their own ...

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William Kentridge (born Johannesburg, South Africa, 1955) is internationally acclaimed for his drawings, films, theatre and opera productions.

What will the artist William Kentridge have to say in his lecture at UCT Summer School, coming up shortly? Title: To Cross One More Sea. Perhaps that we always hope there is only one more to go. www.kentridge.studio/mhome/

kentridge.studio

Kentridge Studio

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

This #Wapo investigation shows the impact how Musk used X to get 200m followers for political influence. What was a platform is now a weapon. Might we see similar instrumentalisation on X.ai ? www.washingtonpost.com/business/int...

washingtonpost.com

Musk’s influence on X eclipses all members of the incoming Congress, combined

The tech billionaire’s X account blasts his political messages to an audience far bigger than Trump reaches on the platform, data analysis by The Post shows.

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

At Politikens Boghal in Copenhagen, I asked for Marietje Schaake's book "The Tech Coup". Sold out. Likewise at their sister shop. If there's a sequel - suggested title: "Tech *Capture* (of the US state)" - maybe one could fund a copy and dig into the post-election scenario. Coup to capture, right?

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Reposted by Guy Berger

Peter Cunliffe-Jones @pcunliffejones.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

The goal of fact-checking and media literacy is being misrepresented by those who spread false information. In this piece, @guyberger.bsky.social & I argue we need a new framing showing not just what we are *against* - but what we are *for*: "information integrity". www.poynter.org/commentary/2...

poynter.org

The next chapter for fact-checking: information integrity - Poynter

From person-to-person coaching and intensive hands-on seminars to interactive online courses and media reporting, Poynter helps journalists sharpen skills and elevate storytelling throughout their car...

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

<<“Countering information disorder” has served fact-checkers well... Updating in favor of “fighting for information integrity” can help position us to embrace what’s coming up next.>> And what's coming next (post the US-election) ain't fun-n-games for factchecking. www.poynter.org/commentary/2...

poynter.org

The next chapter for fact-checking: information integrity - Poynter

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Guy Berger @guyberger.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Would WAPO do a headline like "Biden in Latin America" or "Biden in Europe"? One could hope the paper and its readers know where Angola is... then again maybe not #AfricaIsACountry

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6 of 10 gen Z in USA get "news" from social media, so I worry about this generation with its loneliness - Maria Ressa #Tutu Lecture

Journalist Yousra Elbagir: Tutu was able to laugh and carry on. You, Maria Ressa? Answer: "Hope comes from action"

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Journalist Yousra Elbagir: "Online violence normalisés offline violence" #Tutu Lecture

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Maria Ressa: AI llms are being used in warfare and mistargeting drone attacks.. "It's a bleak time.."

Journalist Yousra Elbagir says her parents and neighbours are amongst the millions who have had to flee Sudan, introducing a panel with 2 Nobel prize winners #Tutu Lecture

"First they came for the journalists, then we didn't know what happened next", quips Maria Ressa in a serious warning to world in the face of a threat of democracy dying.

Social media cenetration is 43 percent in South Africa, and with greater penetration there will be more polarisation, warns Maria Ressa - so "build trust now"

No facts, no truth, no democracy... Pursuit of truth is a peace building mission, essential for accountability - Nobel laureate Maria Ressa