Tips to Avoid Amplifying Misinformation on Election Night
Resources for journalists covering the election
By Data & Society Newsroom Outreach Lead Smitha Khorana and Senior Research Analyst Emma Margolin
Journalists face a daunting task in any presidential election, as they attempt to source, analyze, and explain a deluge of information of the highest import, from across the country, on the tightest deadlines, on the littlest amount of sleep. But this year’s contest will be even more difficult to cover, hampered as it is by a novel pandemic and an unprecedented wave of election-related litigation that could delay final results for weeks to come.
Additionally, many journalists we’ve spoken to in recent days are worried about another challenge this year: mis- and disinformation. This worries us, too. Since 2016, we’ve learned that journalists can play a key role in spreading harmful falsehoods, giving them the oxygen they need to grow, even if the intention is to expose or fact-check. We’ve had countless conversations with journalists about this, eager to share what research in our field has revealed: that journalists amplify mis- and disinformation any time they cover it, and that in some cases, as when mis- and disinformation hasn’t yet been seen by many people, the best practice is not to report on it at all.
…in some cases, as when mis- and disinformation hasn’t yet been seen by many people, the best practice is not to report on it at all.
Last week, Data & Society hosted a conversation with the American Press Institute about election uncertainty. The discussion specifically supports reporters in understanding both the misinformation landscape, as well as possible election scenarios. It is speculative, with the hope that grounded speculation in a moment of uncertainty can help prepare reporters to communicate effectively with the public, maintain the integrity of our election, and help citizens formulate possible ways to organize if there are unexpected issues. The speed and reactive nature of journalism can make it difficult to organize effectively in moments of crisis, when information itself can be sparse. You can watch the video here:
Andrew Rockaway and John Hernandez from the American Press Institute, Smitha Khorana, Newsroom Outreach Lead at Data & Society, and Emma Margolin, of the Disinformation Action Lab at Data & Society, compiled the following major takeaways:
- Most false information related to the election is coming from domestic sources, especially through amplification by influencers with large, established audiences on a variety of platforms. The reach of these influencers can help newsrooms assess whether to cover a particular false claim or narrative: the more likely a claim has been seen by a mass, mainstream audience, the more likely a newsroom should decide to address it. This calculation may be complicated by specific local issues — local newsrooms should heavily emphasize the local context, local rules, local challenges, and local successes. They should also try to maintain an accurate meta-narrative when reporting about national events.
- News media needs to add or correct context to isolated claims, founded or not, of election problems. Clarity and accuracy are paramount. Put problems in proportion: devoting disproportionate coverage to problems that aren’t widespread can end up fueling arguments that the election was fatally flawed. Be mindful of actors that are responsible for seeding these narratives or this misinformation and explain incentives and motives. This may take longer to report out; it is worth the time, even after election night.
- For Election Night: Track the meta-narrative. Individual stories condition a broader frame or meta-narrative that shapes the way audiences see the world. Ask yourself if you’re contributing to a frame that causes harm — and what frame would accurately make sense of individual incidents and stories. Weave the individual stories together in a way that gives us an accurate big picture of what’s going on. Avoid hysteria and sensationalism.
- For Election Day: Take a point of view: who are you writing for and what do they need to know? Cristina Lopez, of Data & Society’s Disinformation Action Lab, suggests that journalists should write from the perspective of a disenfranchised voter. What kinds of barriers could a vulnerable individual face to vote? What kind of mistakes could be made that could invalidate a ballot? What should these voters know to ensure their votes count?
- Expect to see more first-person videos or out-of-context images relative to 2016 asserting election problems, especially on Election Day. Be prepared to fact-check and contextualize images and videos.
Reporting Responsibly
- Ask yourself (and your colleagues) what your values are as a newsroom and talk about those publicly. Consider this recent editorial from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel outlining its approach to election coverage.
- As Gabe Schneider, Washington Correspondent at MinnPost, says, “newsrooms are not partisan but they are political entities with power and influence,” which plays a role in how reporting is received by various audiences.
- There is, always, the possibility of post-election civil unrest or public protests. Journalists should consider the ethical impacts of their reporting during protests, particularly in terms of the disproportionate ways participation in protests may be policed by government actors.
- People should record any aberrations at the polls or any situations that may arise in moments of protest using citizen reporting techniques.
The Blurred Lines Of Accurate Information and Inaccurate Narratives
While false information, both intentional and inadvertent, is bound to appear on Tuesday, we are concerned that Election Day reporting on entirely truthful incidents — such as long lines, ballot issues, or potential violence — may be weaponized to undermine the legitimacy of the election after-the-fact.
The scaffolding for this effort is already in place. Since the spring, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has been posting YouTube videos that disparage mail-in ballots and other early voting options many have turned to amid the pandemic. Some of these videos were made by the RNC or feature prominent Republicans speaking on news shows. But others feature local reporting of isolated incidents, like a ballot box fire in Los Angeles or absentee ballots found in a dumpster in Kentucky. These stories aren’t false and, therefore, don’t qualify as mis- or disinformation. But they do describe rare events that threaten to overpower the countless other untold stories about people casting their ballots without incident. Taken together, these stories bolster the argument that votes counted after election night — a process that has always taken states longer than a single day to complete — are illegitimate and, as Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller claimed Sunday, an effort by Democrats to “steal” victory.
It is through this narrative landscape that more recognizable forms of mis- and disinformation emerge and make sense to people (we like to call these “narrative vulnerabilities”). Renée DiResta and her team at the Stanford Internet Observatory, for instance, have tracked a QAnon conspiracy theory that Democrats and so-called deep-state actors are orchestrating a plot to unfairly seize power from Trump. This didn’t come out of nowhere; it was conditioned and refined over time by prominent Trump surrogates and right-wing influencers pointing to reporting about street protests or ballot-mishandling incidents as “evidence” of the nefarious scheme.
Thinking back to Election Days spent in newsrooms (both authors have spent time as journalists), typically on the hunt for problems or other points of failure, we are keenly aware of how this type of reporting may be used to undermine the integrity of the election and fuel delegitimizing narratives. Reporting usually occurs in a piecemeal way; journalists rarely think about the broader narratives their reporting may feed into. We are now seeing the possibility that election results could be challenged in bad faith using reporting as so-called evidence.
Disinformation and Cable News
There is a risk that this accurate reporting, folded into inaccurate narratives, could be amplified further by news media. One of the most powerful delegitimizing narratives we’ve seen inaccurately frames voter fraud as a widespread phenomenon. Yochai Benkler recently published a report “Mail-In Voter Fraud: Anatomy of a Disinformation Campaign” showing how President Trump has used traditional mass media to disseminate disinformation around mail-in voter fraud. Counter to years of speculation that social media is the underlying factor in the rise of misinformation in the U.S., Benkler’s analysis reveals the power of cable news networks to inadvertently amplify false ideas that the President disseminates in rallies and speeches. Careful editing can mitigate this phenomenon, especially headline writing.
According to Axios, “President Trump has told confidants he’ll declare victory on Tuesday night if it looks like he’s ‘ahead,’ according to three sources familiar with his private comments.”
Many on social media have noted that “Trump declares Victory” is not an acceptable headline, and that journalists must be particularly careful about not authoritatively reporting any election results unless verified. The public should be kept aware of reasonable timelines for election results, which can be found in the resources below.
Resources
- Pen America, along with a consortium of other organizations, including Data & Society and First Draft, released a Reporters’ Guide for Covering the Election with tips for election night. As anxiety mounts around possible scenarios for tomorrow, newsrooms have an essential role to play in quelling false information around outcomes, and engaging in quick investigative reporting should any irregularities arise
- Meanwhile, The National Task Force on Election Crisis has published a series of tip sheets, including 5 Questions on Transition of Power and an Election Roadmap (with a timeline)
- Journalist’s Resource — Election Beat 2020: How news outlets become misinformation superspreaders
- Verification Handbook For Disinformation And Media Manipulation — Techniques for investigating mis- and disinformation
- Trusting News — In the final days of election season, tell (and show) people why they can trust you
- Election Integrity Partnership — Uncertainty and Misinformation: What to Expect on Election Night and Days After
Reporting on Protests
Smitha Khorana is the newsroom outreach lead at Data & Society.
Emma Margolin is a senior research analyst on the Disinformation Action Lab at Data & Society.
