When people ask what I do, I often struggle to answer with just one word. I’m an activist who works full time at the ACLU, navigating issues like surveillance, privacy, and AI governance. But I’m also a writer who has written for outlets like Teen Vogue and Rewire News Group, and I spend a lot of time trying to break down complicated policy issues so that more people can understand how they affect their daily lives. As one of the few Gen Zers in the tech policy space who also creates content on Instagram, balancing these roles has taught me a lot about what it means to be a responsible content creator—and about the fine line we have to walk when it comes to accuracy, ethics, and “objectivity.”
That line is harder to walk than it looks. As an activist, I care deeply about the issues I often also cover. I want to use my writing and content to move people to take action, spark conversation, and, ideally, drive change. But in content creation, I’ve also learned that if I let my passion for a topic overshadow the facts, I risk losing credibility and even spreading disinformation. And once you lose credibility, you lose trust, the currency of content in today’s social media ecosystem.
The idea of “objectivity” in journalism has always been fraught. Too often, it has been used to suggest that journalists should be neutral, even in the face of injustice or overwhelming evidence that supports one side over the other (e.g. climate change). For me, objectivity is about being transparent and rigorous: reporting facts accurately, citing sources clearly, and distinguishing between what is evidence and what is opinion. If I’m writing about a harmful policy, I don’t need to mask the fact that I don’t care about its impact, but I do need to show my audience why it’s harmful using verifiable facts and expert voices, not just my feelings. For example, I often create videos about Big Tech, and I don’t simply criticize them because I’m skeptical of it; I take the time to explain the evidence behind their harms while also acknowledging the innovations Big Tech companies can bring.
I’ve seen firsthand how mis- and disinformation can spread faster than the truth. In my previous advocacy work, including at organizations like the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, the ACLU, and the Student Press Law Center, we spend significant time correcting narratives around tenuous issues, like free expression or privacy, that often begin with a misleading headline or a deliberately false social media post. A single false claim, left unchecked, can derail thoughtful debate and harm people who don’t have the resources to fact-check everything they see. That’s why I try to hold myself to a journalistic standard when I create content. Even in brand partnerships, like when I’ve worked with one of my favorite brands, Aunt Flow, I’ve been intentional about making sure the campaigns I contribute to are rooted in honesty and impact beyond just highlighting the product.
Walking this line can be exhausting at times. There are moments when I wonder if anyone notices statistics or citations of the original source of a claim because it isn’t always what algorithms tend to reward. But over time, I’ve realized that these small decisions matter. They matter not just for credibility, but for the broader ecosystem of trust that all of us—journalists, advocates, creators—depend on to flourish.
For anyone else creating content, whether you’re a journalist, a budding influencer, or a student, here are a few lessons I’ve learned:
- Transparency builds trust: Be clear about where you’re coming from. If you’re writing as an advocate, own that. If you’re sharing an opinion, or working with a partner organization, brand, or receiving money from a fellowship, label it as such. Readers respect honesty.
- Accuracy before speed: The internet moves fast, but misinformation moves faster. Taking a little more time to verify what you’re sharing can prevent long-term harm.
- Context is everything: Numbers and statistics can be misleading if you don’t explain what they mean. Always provide context, especially on issues where a lack of nuance can be weaponized, and use numbers to take your content to the next level, not to further confuse your audience.
- Separate facts from framing: Facts should stand on their own. Your framing can add perspective, but it should never distort the underlying information.
- Remember the ripple effect: The content you put out doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It will shape conversations, influence decisions, and affect how people understand the world around them.
At the end of the day, content creation is not about being perfectly “objective.” It’s about being ethical, responsible, and trustworthy in a world where trust is fragile. For me, that means accepting the tension between my roles as an activist and a writer and leaning into it instead of shying away. It means knowing that while I may not be neutral, I can and must be accurate, because mis- and disinformation aren’t just dangerous, they’re threats to the broader possibility of informed conversations and meaningful change.