By James Watson & Maddie Stopyra
There are reasons to be more concerned about election misinformation this year than in years past. We need not look further than the last month of discourse on the social platform X, formerly Twitter, to figure out the public discourse we might expect after the polls close on Nov. 5.
Hurricane Helene resulted in a torrent of misinformation, culminating in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) briefly pausing operations due to threats by a militia in the region. Many online recklessly speculated that FEMA was seizing land and homes in storm-battered Appalachia. FEMA, of course, was not there to impose eminent domain (nor do they have the power to do so). Those threats, spurred by false information, resulted in serious harm to already-hurting communities, undermining efforts to bring relief to the area. There's no other way to say it: it’s despicable.
The truth is, the sunk-cost fallacy is a powerful drug. When you put time, resources and energy into believing in something or someone, it can be hard to divorce yourself from it — even if it's problematic or disappointing. Or, in the case of elections, even if your candidate loses. When you add misinformation to an already roaring blaze of passion and disappointment, the results can be explosive and dangerous.
The Old Gold & Black is committed to combating the spread of false information. We are proud to present the 2024 election edition... (read more).
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