PEAK TO PEAK – As we seem to dash down the final stretch to the November election, we must, in our haste to tell the world our particular choices for elected offices, bear in mind that this election, like those in the U.S. since 2016, is rife with disinformation pushed into our faces from all directions.
According to The American Security Project, “Disinformation is intentionally false information spread with the purpose of deceiving its recipients.
“This differs from misinformation, which is false information that is spread without the intention to deceive its recipients. Though the intent is different, the results are often similar.
“….[T]he large number of information outlets available, including cable/satellite channels, websites, and social platforms, allows for greater access to and easier dissemination of false information than in decades past.”
And, yes, heaven knows disinformation is the bread and butter of social media, where lies and scandals about celebrities feed the empty imagination of followers.
But when the lies become part of the political makeup of an election, they may have serious consequences.
The American Security Project continues, in its discussion of disinformation, with this vital bit of understanding: “Sound decision making relies on the ability of an individual to analyze the facts at hand and come to a rational conclusion about the best course of action based on those facts. If the individual is making decisions based on information that is false or otherwise unreliable, then those decisions may not be in the interest of that individual, or the institution for which they work.” Or the government that individual opts to elect.
We know, thanks to the quick involvement of fact checkers (now becoming valued members of newsgathering operations), that there is one huge item of disinformation being circulated in relation to this current election: that FEMA is cutting (or eliminating, depending on which story you hear) benefits to victims of Hurricane Helene because too much of FEMA’s funds are going to undocumented immigrants.
Leaving aside the mountain of disinformation spread about “illegal immigrants,” this story is easily disproven by looking at the actual components of FEMA funding: One fund for assisting undocumented immigrants with the necessities of life until their legal standing is ascertained; and a much larger fund (recently replenished by Congress), for FEMA’s better known function of assisting at national emergencies.
Further, the governors of the states involved -- all but one, Republican -- have acknowledged the help they have received from FEMA and from the administration.
But the average consumer of social media doesn’t have time (or doesn’t make time) to fact-check the assertion, and, in too many cases, distrusts the fact checking of the mainstream media exactly because of the gusher of disinformation that has drowned us all over the past eight years. Look up gaslighting if you want a clearer understanding of this phenomenon.
The American Security Project adds these foreboding words to its description of the danger of disinformation: “The public can be deceived through disinformation … resulting in action that is contrary to public health and safety, or even action against the government itself. A misinformed public can place pressure on policy makers to undertake decisions based on false information as well.
“Disinformation is exacerbating partisan divides and eroding public faith in American institutions, threatening the core of American democracy. If this disinformation is successful in severely eroding that faith, the American system of government risks failure.”
The American people are standing at a crossroads where they must choose the direction the country will take. Will we choose based on unverified assertions, or rationally checked data?
Once again, it’s up to us to choose our fate.
Information on disinformation is from https://www.americansecurityproject.org/public-diplomacy-and-strategic-communication/disinformation/. The essay goes on a bit longer, and is well worth reading.
