Joan Donovan, a supposed “misinformation” expert and former director of research at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center, has been accused of spreading misinformation about her departure from her once-prestigious position at the university.
The Chronicle of Higher Education Reports Joan Donovan, former research director at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy and a purported expert on misinformation, has been embroiled in controversy over her departure from the Ivy League school. Donovan, known for her research on media manipulation and the spread of disinformation online, has made several claims about how she left Harvard that have been questioned by former colleagues and university officials.
A happy Mark Zuckerberg (Jeff Botali/Getty)
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 23: The Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts on March 23, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, students are being asked to move out of their dorms by March 15 and complete the remainder of the semester online. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
In a 248-page document released in December 2022, Donovan alleged that Harvard University had treated her and her team, the Technology Social Change Project, unfairly because of their ties to Meta (formerly Facebook). She alleged that Harvard had removed her position and the team she led under pressure from Meta executives, particularly former Facebook executive and Harvard alumnus Elliot Schrage. Donovan pointed to an October 2021 Zoom call in which she accused Schrage of dominating the discussion and inaccurately reading out documents related to Facebook. However, a transcript of the meeting contradicts Donovan’s account, showing that Schrage spoke for just three minutes and made no mention of the leaked Facebook files.
Interviews with former team members, Shorenstein Center staff, and university officials revealed inconsistencies in Donovan’s story. Eleven former members of the Technology and Social Change Project and Shorenstein Center staff said they had seen no evidence that Mehta pressured Donovan’s team or that it disbanded as a result. Other of Donovan’s claims, such as that Harvard owns the copyright to her book “Meme Wars” and that the university stole her plans to release classified Facebook documents, have also been disputed by people directly involved.
Donovan’s claims about FBarchive, a project aimed at creating a searchable archive of leaked documents from Facebook, have also been disputed. Donovan claims that the project was his brainchild and that he was removed from it due to Meta, but Professor LaTanya Sweeney, who worked on the project, called Donovan’s version of events “a gross misrepresentation and misrepresentation.” Sweeney said that she had obtained the cache of files herself before Donovan, and that the majority of the work on the project was done by Sweeney and her team.
Former colleagues also raised concerns about Donovan’s management style and behavior during his final years at Harvard. They cited conference cancellations, complaints against university administrators and attempts to lobby donors to withdraw support for the team, which would put staff members’ jobs at risk sooner than expected. Former associate director of research Brandi Collins Dexter felt Donovan was using her as a “shield and weapon” to protect his own brand and public image.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship.
