National newsrooms are making extra preparations to counter election misinformation.
Illustration credit: The News Literacy Project.
In anticipation of a barrage of misinformation on Election Day and beyond, national news organizations are making extra preparations to counter it. NBC News added a team of correspondents to monitor vote-counting in pivotal counties, CBS News will have its new fact-checking and misinformation unit working, and The Associated Press has hired reporters to explain its decisions as it calls election results. “We live in an environment where misinformation travels really fast, and we understand that the public is confused,” AP Executive Editor Julie Pace told The New York Times.
In a recent Axios/Harris poll of 2,122 American adults, more than half (54%) said they disengaged from politics because they couldn’t tell what was true. Respondents also said that “politicians spreading misinformation” was their top concern — indicating a lack of trust among voters.
Discuss: How do news organizations determine election results? How do they decide when to “call” a state — or the election — for a candidate? What are some causes of election misinformation? Do you agree election-related misinformation poses a threat to democracy? Why or why not?
Mississippi Today reporter Anna Wolfe faces jailtime or fines if she doesn’t reveal her reporting sources to a state court after former Gov. Phil Bryant sued her, her editor and her nonprofit local news outlet for defamation. Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting exposed how Bryant used his office to divert millions of state welfare dollars to benefit friends — including famed NFL quarterback Brett Favre. Wolfe and her editor have refused to provide notes and source information, citing reporter’s privilege under the First Amendment “that protects reporters from being forced to give up confidential sources,” ESPN reported. However, Mississippi doesn’t have a formal shield law in place, and it’s unclear if Wolfe and her sources would be protected. First Amendment advocates say without shield laws, whistleblowers are less likely to come forward.
The lawsuit was filed after Mississippi Today CEO Mary Margaret White erroneously said at a national conference that Bryant embezzled funds — an inaccuracy that was not part of Wolfe’s reporting.
Discuss: Why do news organizations sometimes allow sources who give them important information to go unnamed in their reporting? If you worked in a government office and had evidence of criminal misuse of public funds, would you leak the story to a journalist? Why or why not? Should people who leak such evidence be protected by news organizations? If the government punishes journalists for their reporting, what impact might it have on democracy?
Idea: Use the “Press freedom” slide in Week 4 of the Daily Do Now resource for students to think more about this issue.
Another idea: Have students use this Dig Deeper think sheet to take notes on the landmark First Amendment case, New York Times v. Sullivan, which established that libel lawsuits must prove “actual malice” to win.
Neo-Nazis are using generative AI tools to re-create Adolf Hitler in English-language videos that spread antisemitic messages on social media and target young people to radicalize them. Hitler-glorifying content has about 25 million views on X, TikTok and Instagram, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and the SITE Intelligence Group. Hitler, the German dictator who led the Holocaust movement that systematically killed 6 million Jewish people before and during World War II, is cast in the AI-generated videos as a “misunderstood figure.” Experts say the videos are difficult for tech companies to moderate because they lack overt extremist logos.
Discuss: Why might extremists choose to use generative AI as a propaganda tool? How often, if ever, do you see hateful content on social media? What responsibility do tech companies have to moderate extremist content? Is there anything you can do to protect yourself from being exposed to extremist views on social media?
Share this week's rumor examples with students using these classroom-ready slides. We've expanded these slides to include a comprehensive walk-through on how to debunk false rumors — including a short video to show students how to use a Google search for credible news.
YES: The actual footage of Harris speaking at normal speed at the rally can be found on C-Span and on Harris’ official social media pages.
YES: Slowing down video footage to make a person sound drunk is a common misinformation tactic and was repeatedly used to target former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
★ NewsLit takeaway:
False claims targeting a candidate’s mental fitness are among the most popular types of misinformation circulating about the 2024 election. The edits in this video (which can be seen here) are subtle and difficult to notice at first glance. This is why it’s so important to consider the source when browsing content on social media. In this case, the video was widely spread by hyperpartisan accounts. It’s also a good idea to track down the original footage, especially when encountering an abbreviated clip from a much longer video. Comparing this deceptively edited viral clip to the original video from C-Span, it’s clear the footage was manipulated to make it sound like she was slurring her words.
NO: JD Vance did not rent a dog to make it seem like he is a dog person.
YES: A deceptively edited video of an interview Vance did with media personality Tucker Carlson makes it appear as if Vance admitted his campaign rented a dog for him.
YES: The full interview video shows that Vance is making a joke about renting a dog to mock a baseless viral rumor about it.
YES: Vance owns a German shepherd named Atlas and his spokesperson said he got it as a puppy in January 2024, before being picked as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
★ NewsLit takeaway:
Short video clips that are shared online with sensational or embarrassing claims, especially featuring major political figures, always merit extra scrutiny. Checking the source can add important context to a viral clip. Is the source of the claim trustworthy? Does the source have a clear political bias? As the 2024 election approaches, it’s important to slow down when scrolling online and take a few extra moments to look for additional information before sharing viral posts.
How politically polarized are kids in the United States today? Researchers commissioned by CNN interviewed 80 fourth graders and found that those who support Democrats drive polarization more than those who support Republicans — but kids in red states were more likely to repeat election misinformation.
Media literacy is a top education priority in Finland, starting with kindergartners and building up to the development of robust skills in spotting scams, hoaxes and propaganda.
As much as Americans might revere the U.S. Constitution, only 58% who were polled by Freedom Forum say they would ratify the First Amendment if it were their decision.
CBS News is leaving it to candidates to fact-check each other during the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1. However, CBS viewers will see an onscreen QR code that links to the network’s misinformation unit fact-checking the debate online.
Russia’s state-run propaganda “news” outlet RT launched two decades ago and once drew in broadcasters like the legendary Larry King. This NPR piece recaps the history of RT, which was recently revealed to be involved in covert Russian influence campaigns.
Imagine an AI persona that shares your likeness and voice, and answers questions with a live video in place of you. That’s a new feature Meta is introducing for influencers.
One in three Gen Z men in the U.S. are turning to social media for medical information, according to a Cleveland Clinic survey. This CNBC piece has four tips to spot medical misinformation online.
School newspapers are in decline — and only 27% of New York City public high schools now have one. A new initiative, Journalism For All, is trying to bring them back.
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