As an engagement journalist with a background in environmental science and disinformation research, I’m focused on building solutions for underrepresented and underserved communities affected by the climate and information crises.

Bylines and Mentions

  • Adobe stock image of the US map outlined in glowing red lines with blurred digital circuitry in the background.

    Election Interference: How tech, race, and disinformation can influence the U.S Election

    Diara shares her expertise on the intersection of race, technology, and disinformation in this article, co-written with Oxford researchers. In it, she highlights explicitly how these factors uniquely affect marginalized communities and their participation in U.S. elections.

  • Trump and ABC News' Rachel Scott engage in dialogue while sitting on a stage with the NABJ and American flag backdrop.  [image via The 19th]

    NABJ is politicizing its Black journalists by platforming Trump at the ‘Journalism Over Disinformation’ convention in Chicago

    The NABJ faced backlash for hosting Trump at its convention and was criticized for amplifying disinformation and undermining Black journalists' credibility. Rejecting Kamala Harris's attendance sparked resignations, raising concerns about trust and journalism's integrity in addressing Black issues.

  • A New Dawn in A Quiet Place: Depicting Black Women Beyond Racist Tropes

    A Quiet Place: Day One, a prequel spinoff of the thriller series, is breaking records, with Lupita Nyong’o delivering a captivating performance as the protagonist. Diara explores the online dehumanization of Black people in entertainment media, not to critique an actor’s talent but to investigate if and how this prequel navigates misogynistic stereotypes and racist tropes.

  • UNREAL: Trump backers use AI images to suggest strong Black support

    Diara shared expertise for the New York Amsterdam News’ exclusive report on AI-generated images created by supporters of former President Donald Trump showing him posing with Black celebrities, historical figures, and ordinary Black people.

  • The racist disinformation flooding Haiti (and what the media can do about it)

    Several racist conspiracy theories and disinformation narratives are emerging from Haiti as the country plunges deeper into a perilous humanitarian crisis. Ignited by violence between local and paramilitary gangs after years of increasing poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and corruption of elected officials, nearly 5.5 million people are facing detrimental conditions.

  • Report: Racial Inclusion at Burning Man, Fall 2023

    This project’s objective is to explore the potential application of an ethnically diverse community in a progressive environment as a framework for equitable collaboration. Its outcome addresses the challenges of racialized hierarchy and inequity in predominantly homogeneous environments that are controlled by economic levers in professional and social spaces and, more particularly, in our technology.

  • Twitter’s Culture Shocks

    With Twitter's future chaotic and unknown, what will happen to the marginalized communities that found their power here? What will happen to change and culture?

  • The Fall of the House of Uber

    Today, we’re looking at The Guardian’s “Uber Files” investigation and the impact of their aggressive strategy on the digital economy since their arrival on the transportation scene in 2010. As always, please scroll to the bottom for the book we’re reading and upcoming events.

  • Radical Inclusion at Burning Man ~ December 2022

    The magic of Burning Man doesn't just happen. It's time to learn how to expand the inclusion we love. Hear from Burners of Color and Burners with disabilities on how Black Rock City is evolving to make it more welcoming, and how you and your camp can be a part of this transformation.

  • Burning Man as a Framework for Racially Inclusive Community Design

    Can this desert event set a precedent for building equitable digital communities?

  • Local news is critical infrastructure. It’s time we treat it that way.

    What role does journalism serve in a community? How does it interact with other municipal institutions to help deliver a vibrant, multiracial democracy? Journalists, media leaders, academics, local, state, and federal government officials, civic leaders, and philanthropists came together to discuss these critical questions.

  • A Hard Return

    The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with more than two million currently in prison. Silicon Valley and tech companies across the nation are well-positioned to lead the way toward long-lasting systemic change on a scale that can effectively address this uniquely American crisis.

  • Defining the Internet

    It may seem like an easy question, but the answer will vary depending on who you ask. And The Tow-Knight Center’s new Initiative in Internet Studies is tasked with finding out.

  • Ethics of the Internet

    Are there any? Should there be? And who decides?

  • Commission on Information Disorder Final Report

    The Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder, composed of a diverse group from across the political spectrum representing academia, government, philanthropy, and civil society, came together to understand and explore the multidimensional problems of information disorder.

  • Aspen Digital's Disinfo Discussions

    To inform the work of the Commission on Information Disorder, Aspen Digital designed a resource for the commissioners and the broader public. It covered issues such as Section 230, coordinated campaigns, algorithmic bias, and social media.

  • 'This isn't the end' | Experts warn Capitol rioters could strike again across country

    The FBI is warning of planned armed protests in all 50 states leading up to Inauguration Day. Experts say right-leaning extremist groups like Proud Boys are joining.

  • “Do No Harm” — Assessing the impact of prioritizing US political disinformation over health misinformation in 2020

    What changes need to happen so newsrooms, researchers, and policymakers are prepared for the health misinformation that will define 2021.

  • 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.

  • From Marine Scientist to Engagement Journalist:

    My experience as a student in the Social Journalism program at the Newmark J-School.

  • When the Ocean Met the Bay: A Journalistic Innovation to Superstorm Sandy Recovery

    My engagement journalism work began online with climate skeptics and offline with New York City’s environmental activist community. It concluded with a website for Hurricane Sandy-impacted residents on a Queens peninsula.

  • Extinction Rebellion: Locals and Tourists Respond to Climate Protests in New York City

    A gallery of photos, clips, and comments from onlookers during an October 2019 dramatic funeral procession and climate protest in downtown Manhattan.

  • "The Strike is Just the Beginning"

    New York City Students skip school to make a global statement on the climate crisis.

Right: Arverne Resident Carol Carty Recalls Sandy Evacuation: My audio interview with Carol Carty, a resident of the Rockaway neighborhood of Arverne who experienced extreme flooding from Jamaica Bay during Hurricane Sandy.

Below: Marijuana Use and Conviction in NYC: The final product for my graduate-level video course with a C100 camera and Adobe Premiere.