Description In 2018, the Knight Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving media integrity and supporting quality journalism, commissioned an in-depth study to investigate how disinformation spread on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Conducted by researchers at George Washington University and the network analysis firm Graphika, the study examined over 10 million tweets, uncovering intricate networks of fake news amplification and their growing influence on public discourse. The research shed light on the mechanisms used by malicious actors to manipulate social media narratives, from coordinated bot activity to the strategic targeting of specific communities. However, despite its crucial findings, the study’s presentation—buried in a lengthy, text-heavy PDF report—made it difficult for the average reader to grasp the scale and significance of the problem.

To bridge this gap, Accurat collaborated with the Knight Foundation to transform the dense research into an engaging, interactive web experience that brought the data to life. Using a scrolling digital format, we crafted a dynamic narrative that guided users through the study’s key insights, making complex information both accessible and compelling. To illustrate the spread of disinformation visually, we designed an intuitive metaphor: Twitter accounts were represented as birds, with their tweets forming flight paths that traced the trajectory of fake news as it spread across the platform. This approach not only made the issue more tangible but also helped users intuitively grasp the scale and movement of disinformation networks. The project was designed to be fully responsive, ensuring a seamless experience across devices and maximizing its accessibility to a broad audience. Completed in just three months, the project successfully translated a critical research report into a powerful digital tool that reached a wider public, garnering coverage from major media outlets including Politico, NPR, and Adweek. Through this collaboration, Accurat helped the Knight Foundation further its mission of advancing journalism and protecting the integrity of communications in the digital age, demonstrating how data visualization can serve as a powerful tool for public awareness and media literacy.