Scott Yates candidacy for Public Credibility group

Dear Sandro and members of the group:

My name is Scott Yates. My platform for what I would do as chair of this
group is this: Create a document that can be used to evaluate other efforts
to fight disinformation. That is, instead of trying to come up with a
solution, first come up with a definition of what a good solution looks
like.


Right now we have dozens of efforts, and new ones pop up all the time. For
whom are they helpful? Do they respect free expression? Do they have
unintended negative consequences? How do they fit into the overall
landscape? Nobody can answer any of those or a dozen other similar
questions because there’s no document by which to make such an evaluation.
I propose that we come up with such a document.


It would have as an underpinning the previous excellent documents from this
group, and would build up from there. This new document would make it
possible for the people behind anti-disinformation efforts to
self-evaluate, and perhaps improve based on the guidelines contained in the
document. We could also evaluate efforts as a community group, and we could
encourage other similar groups (like the Credibility Coalition, of which I
am a longtime member) to also use this document.


To do this most effectively, I would recommend that we expand this group to
include some newsroom leaders, standards experts, and people behind some of
the notable efforts out there. I will personally invite people, and would
welcome the help of others in that.


A bit about me: I’m the founder of JournalList.net, caretaker of the
trust.txt framework. I have also worked on the Journalism Trust Initiative.
Before JournalList, a nonprofit, I started three technology companies, and
before that I was a reporter. I live in Denver with my family, our mutt,
and my dictionary collection. In my spare time I’m trying to fix Daylight
Saving Time.


Thank you for our attention,

-Scott Yates
Founder
JournalList.net, caretaker of the trust.txt framework
202-742-6842
Short Video Explanation of trust.txt <https://youtu.be/lunOBapQxpU>