About Curious Scout
“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are rotten, write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.”
- Benjamin Franklin
Meet Diara J. Townes, creator of Curious Scout’s Tarot
A former marine and environmental scientist and a professionally trained engagement journalist from New York City, Diara has been bridging the gap between natural science and spiritual belief for decades. From building natal charts as a student from a Long Island high school cafeteria to learning tarot and meditation at Burning Man in Nevada and the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp in Florida , Diara’s metaphysical expertise focuses her understanding of astrology with her insightful card divination.
While her professional career focuses on mis and disinformation research, editorial engagement and the climate crisis, Diara partitions her time with her passion for esoteric studies. In addition to sharing tarot and astrological readings on social media, Diara’s longer readings are conducted via Calendly appointments and will soon host visualization and manifestation exercises and workshops, a previously untapped skill she is busily perfecting.
Diara’s Professional Work
Image: First Draft News
How we prepared future journalists for the challenges of online misinformation
The infodemic was an unprecedented challenge for newsrooms. First Draft’s US 2020 Student Network stepped up.
Image: First Draft News
“Do No Harm” — Assessing the impact of prioritizing US political disinformation over health misinformation in 2020
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
From Marine Scientist to Engagement Journalist: Reflections, Successes and the Future of Climate Journalism
It's a conclusive fact: climate change is the crisis of our lifetime. Everyone's on board with that, right?
Experts Weigh in on Scope of Commission on Information Disorder
In an effort to create a framework of scope and priorities for the Commission on Information Disorder, Aspen Digital queried the broader mis and disinformation sector for their expert suggestions. We’ve collated more than 100 responses to our survey, which asked experts how the government should respond to disinformation, the role tech platforms should play in setting regulation policy, the impact of disinformation outside the United States, and more. Respondents work in fields ranging from academia, news media, technology, and philanthropy
Disinfo Discussions Podcast
To inform the work of the Commission, Aspen Digital is hosting a series of expert briefings on a broad range of essential topics related to mis- and disinformation. Produced by Diara J. Townes, “Disinfo Discussions” is designed to help the commissioners and the broader public make sense of the various facets of the information crisis. All of the videos below are also available in podcast format on all major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple, Google).
Ready for its return to app stores, Parler may become a gateway to more extreme sites, critics warn
By Laura Romero, ABC News
With Apple signaling the return of conservative-leaning social media platform Parler to its app store, some social media advocates are worried that right-wing extremist groups could use the app to recruit individuals to other messaging spaces and fringe platforms that make it easier for spreaders of misinformation to do harm.
Diara’s Featured Work
A member of the Pennsylvania Capitol Police stands guard at the entrance to the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, Pa., on Jan. 13, 2021. Jose F. Moreno / The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
As law enforcement braces for more violence, state capitols come into focus
By Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News
More than a dozen flyers are circulating online promoting pro-Trump rallies at state capitols, according to a social media analysis by NBC News.
Image: Michelle Thompson
No Parler? No problem: Where Trump’s QAnon Twitter mob went next
By Jack Kessler, The Evening Standard
Banished from Twitter and Facebook, the more extreme end of the Donald’s believers found an accommodating home in Parler: until it got shut down. But that doesn’t mean they’re out of options. Far from it, says Jack Kessler.
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Brent Stirton/Getty Images.
Parler begins to come back online with the help of a Russian tech company
By Rebecca Heilweil, Vox Recode
A preliminary page for Parler has come back online, but the full app hasn’t returned.