#KeepItReal Ambassadors

Meet the #KeepItReal Ambassadors, a group of young people supporting ARTICLE 19’s campaign on disinformation and freedom of expression in Ireland. Find out more about them!

Ciarán Ralph

Ciarán Ralph

My name is Ciarán and I am 21 years old. I am currently studying a Master’s degree in Digital Policy.

Throughout my education, I have learned of the power that digital communication holds. It is a double-edged sword that holds the power to drastically enhance and restrict our lives. Over the years, I have seen an increase in the latter, as social media has become a place rampant with disinformation and  oppression. This poses a danger, as these attitudes and behaviours learned online can translate and become an influence in our day-to-day lives.

I decided to join ARTICLE 19 because their goals really resonated with me. It has given me an opportunity to improve the lives of others by taking action in the fight against disinformation.

Dylan Archbold

Dylan Archbold

My name is Dylan Archbold, I’m 24 years old and I live in Dublin where I have just finished a Master of Laws degree in Dublin City University. 

Passionate about human rights and civil liberties, my hope is to eventually use legal avenues for the betterment of marginalised groups in society. 

Freedom of expression and combatting disinformation is a cornerstone of maintaining a democratic state. I wanted to get involved with Article 19 to spread awareness about disinformation particularly given the current global setting of climate change, the refugee crisis, and the pandemic, all areas susceptible to disinformation.

Laura Bartley

Laura Bartley

My name is Laura; I’m a graduate with a Master’s degree in Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies. As an undergraduate, I studied International Relations at DCU and SciencesPo and was a strong advocate for social justice being heavily involved in college life.

I am passionate about challenging the impact of technology on human rights, democracy and violent extremism. I’m interested in enhancing social integration (both online and offline) in increasingly polarised societies. As such, I am dedicated to becoming involved in ARTICLE 19’s action-oriented and innovative campaign which aims to counter increasing online polarisation and distrust in the media.

Twitter:@Laura_FBartley

Molly Gordon Boles

Molly Gordon Boles

My name is Molly and I’m 18 years old. I have just started my first year studying music in Dublin. 

I am passionate about human rights, education, climate change and gender equality. Over the past few years, I’ve been involved in different campaigns advocating for a positive change here. 

A serious issue is on the rise across the world. Disinformation and misinformation is being spread in the aim to promote a cause and agenda. We have also seen people using freedom of expression as a guise to spread hate speech. I am excited to be a part of ARTICLE 19’s campaign to educate and aim to put an end to this. 

Natasha Sutton

Natasha Sutton

My name is Natasha, I am a 20 year old student from Clonakilty, West Cork. I am a Law student at University College Cork. I have a great passion for all things international development related, particularly education and gender equality. I also have a huge interest in social justice issues. Having won the Concern Debates competition in 2017 alongside my teammates, I became a strong advocate for speaking out on issues that not only affect you but are affecting marginalised, vulnerable people. Education is vital and I believe that this campaign will be a great stepping stone in terms of educating ourselves and others on disinformation. I am a member of the Spunout.ie Action Panel where we contribute to discussions around youth mental health, period poverty and other wide-ranging issues and I cannot wait to see how this campaign will play a role in bringing these issues to the forefront of our media. I want to contribute to a world where we see news and information in a positive light, influencing social change.

Twitter: @natashasutton_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-sutton-78b0921a9

Patrick Hever

Patrick Hever

My name is Patrick and I’m 23 years old. I recently graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a Masters degree in Management. 

I have a keen interest in the work of investigative journalists who cover issues ranging from human rights, corruption, and war conflict. I believe that freedom of expression and disinformation are interlinked with these issues.  

I have decided to join the Article 19 campaign in Ireland to use my voice to create awareness about disinformation, and to educate people on how and where to check for facts. I also want to raise awareness on the importance of free speech and to remind people of their responsibility to express themselves with integrity.

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ph97/ 

Instagram – hatrickxpever 

Róisín Murphy

Róisín Murphy

I’m Róisín and I am one of the Youth Ambassadors for the Article 19 Campaign. I’m from Co Mayo in the West of Ireland.

Having had a lot of involvement in youth work and youth organisations, I’ve become very passionate about the importance of giving correct information, especially to young people today, as there is so much incorrect information and “fake news” floating around the internet!

I’m really excited to be involved in the campaign and make some positive change!

Ross Boyd
@rosspjboyd

Ross Boyd
@rosspjboyd

My name is Ross, I’m 21 from Clonsilla in west Dublin, in my final year of Social Sciences & Cultural Innovation in DCU. 

Unafraid to use my voice, I have spoken about topics from mental health, cycling and international development funding, to try to make the world a better place through articles, podcasts and everything in between!

I joined ARTICLE 19 with my own experiences of seeing disinformation shared among friends and the abuse some people can get for being online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to create conversations among my peers and the general public about freedom of expression and disinformation.

Twitter: @rosspjboyd

Instagram: @rpjboss

Sara Abdulmagid
@saraabdulmagid

Sara Abdulmagid
@saraabdulmagid

My name is Sara, and I’m 22 years old. I’m Palestinian, and I moved to Ireland when I was 15 after growing up in Cyprus. I graduated with a Bachelors in Law and I am now completing an MSc in Communications and Media. 

Education is the backbone of society, and online education is often overlooked. Online disinformation is a dangerous issue that is quickly on the rise. It is a global concern that affects people of all ages, and can lead to increased anxiety when people can no longer identify the truth. 

The recent EU regulations on disinformation caught my eye and I became fascinated with the sneaky ways in which disinformation can spread on online platforms. I joined Article 19 for the #KeepItReal campaign because I am passionate about battling disinformation online, and I want to educate others on how to identify fake news and misleading content. The campaign will make a real difference in educating the public about identifying disinformation, and I’m excited to be involved!

Twitter: @saraabdulmagid

Scott Byrne

Scott Byrne

My name is Scott and I’m 23 years old. I have recently graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in Physics.

I have worked in the area of science education for several years and appreciate how important scientific literacy is ,especially for your people. Science helps us to understand the world around us and develop critical thinking skills. Without it, we are all vulnerable to misinformation.

I became an Article 19 ambassador because I want to counter the spread of scientific misinformation. In the current climate, this is more important than ever, as we attempt to tackle the Covid pandemic and all of the misinformation surrounding it.

Selin Sen

Selin Sen

Merhaba! (Hi!) My name is Selin and I am a Turkish student studying law at Queen’s University Belfast. Currently I am in my final year and working on my dissertation which is about the limitations of the freedom of expression. This is something that I am passionate about and is one of the reasons why I decided to be a part of Article 19. I’m super excited and I can’t wait to start our campaign #KeepItReal. 

 

Sophie O’Callaghan

Sophie O’Callaghan

I’m Sophie and I’m a Keep it Real Campaign Ambassador. I’m an Applied Plant Biology student in UCC. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to work on this vital campaign, especially alongside so many talented and engaged ambassadors. 

My goal is to bring as many people on board with our aim of protecting each other from disinformation and biased, unreliable sources through open and non- judgemental conversation. Trustworthy information is something we all have a right to. I’m also an action panel member of SpunOut.ie, Ireland’s youth information website, which prioritises accurate unbiased information. 

You can catch me on Instagram @Sustainable_Style_Hub_Ireland; a sustainable fashion submissions page where we celebrate every step of our followers’ journey to leaving fast fashion in the dust without comparing progress. I’m lucky enough to be the Garden Liaison Officer for the Environmental Society of UCC, where I’m currently working on the community gardens as I believe green spaces, especially in urban areas to be a human right.

This campaign couldn’t be coming at such a crucial time for Ireland and the world as a whole. Never have we been so connected but so vulnerable to disinformation.

Sorcha Murphy

Sorcha Murphy

My name is Sorcha; Sorcha means ‘brightness’ in Irish and that is the impact I aim to leave with every person I meet. I am interested in the ways in which people express themselves, and I studied Communication Studies in DCU. 

In my 21 years, I have volunteered with and led many different campaigns – I guess as an Aquarius it is my calling! I believe in equal rights and opportunities for all and rarely shy away from challenging this. Most recently I’ve worked on students housing rights (#ShanowenShakedown) and image-based sexual assault. 

Growing up alongside the rise of social media, I have learned to both enjoy learning from others views but have also learned the importance of healthy skepticism. I studied Communication Studies because of that, and now I look forward to leading the Article 19 Campaign #KeepItReal. You can check out my work at @Sorcham12 on all platforms!