| The liberal activist group Indivisible Project is recruiting a network of volunteers to counter online political disinformation. "The Truth Brigade" now has thousands of volunteers who are using their personal social media accounts to dispel purported falsehoods from right-wing influencers and promote their own messages. They've been ramping up the operation since before the 2020 election, and recently have focused on challenging false claims of widespread election fraud amid the highly criticized election audit in Arizona.  Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. The Truth Brigade is focused on countering disinformation, including baseless claims of widespread election fraud. (AP Photo/Matt York, Pool) | With this initiative, the Indivisible Project is betting that ordinary individuals with sway in their communities could play a big role in setting the record straight among their online followers. "You can do a lot of thinking about what is exactly the right message, but who is the messenger is often more important," said Leah Greenberg, the co-executive director of the Indivisible Project. "This is really about bringing the message and messenger together." The effort underscores the existential challenge Democrats face online in the post-Trump era. The Truth Brigade highlights the continued concerns among liberals about conservative attempts to spread falsehoods online, even after former president Donald Trump lost his online microphone. Democrats are ramping up their efforts to counter disinformation as Republican lawmakers and party officials continue to embrace Trump's baseless claims of widespread election fraud, which threaten to define the 2022 midterms and beyond. Democrats' worries have shifted from fighting foreign influence campaigns and bot networks to responding to domestic figures and outlets amplifying disinformation. The Indivisible Project is betting that ordinary people – rather than technical tools – may be better positioned to take on those forces. Greenberg said the effort was created to combat an erosion of trust in institutions, after she says the government and large tech companies haven't done enough to address a broken information system. "We're fully aware this should not be the responsibility of individual volunteers to counter," Greenberg said. "A healthy democratic system would be one in which a number of different fail safes would have operated to avoid us getting to this moment." Indivisible Project is not alone in grappling with this issue. The Democratic National Committee recently overhauled its counter disinformation unit to better respond to Republican politicians and right-leaning publications. The Truth Brigade is working to expand ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. It's aiming to set up an effort that can persist beyond one election cycle. "This is a long-term strategy," said Tim Chambers, principal at Dewey Square Group and an adviser to the Truth Brigade. "This is about building out infrastructure in a way to counter disinformation long-term." The volunteers undergo a training program, where they're given instructions about how to boost authoritative claims without amplifying falsehoods. They then coordinate to frame their messages and strategize so they can get more views online. The volunteers are encouraged to not get into online arguments, but rather to tailor their messages in ways that might have the most impact in their social circles. "We're asking them to spread positive, authentic messaging in ways that their networks might pick it up," Greenberg said. She said it's less about countering "your uncle who watches Fox News 24 hours a day," and more about reaching people "who might go either way." The Truth Brigade volunteers are focused on correcting the record across social networks. The volunteers are spreading their messages on sites ranging from Twitter to Nextdoor. Volunteers use any platforms where they're active, but they're encouraged to go to social networks where they might have the most impact and reach more people, such as Facebook. "Distrust is at the heart of disinformation," said Kelsey Suter, a vice president at GQR, who has been advising the Truth Brigade. "The best kind of solution has to be one that taps into people's trust and taps into existing relationships. … Using trusted messengers is a key part of the solution." | 
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