Tessa Knight
Tessa Knight is a research associate for the Sub-Saharan Africa region at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) based in South Africa. Tessa worked as a news journalist for two South African media companies before joining the DFRLab where she discovered her passion for tracking disinformation and the spread of digital propaganda on the African continent.
As a research associate for DFRLab’s sub-Saharan African research unit, Tessa is committed to increasing awareness around digital propaganda, and working with other researchers, journalists and policy-makers to come up with uniquely African solutions to both local and international disinformation targeting the continent.
August 2023
Nottingham murders serve as rallying point for far-right UK influencers
Anti-immigrant influencers weaponized immigration status of the accused murderer to spread racist, Islamophobic rhetoric
August 2023
UK murders spur xenophobic narratives and conspiracy theories
The murders, allegedly committed by an immigrant of West African descent, led to broader campaign of dehumanization of migrants and calls for closed borders
August 2023
Suspicious network’s copypasta replies to Sudanese paramilitary group’s tweets
Network of potentially hijacked Twitter accounts copy and pasted positive replies to accounts associated with Rapid Support Forces
