Questions

Social Media and Politics -2

Social media effects on political discourse: More engaged but lesstolerant?

The early optimistic view: “Open your mind” argument

•People live in politically segregated social networks in their dailylives •We are not exposed to diverse points views offline

•On social media our networks are more diverse (in theory) • Exposed to ideas from people from different stages and areas of ourlives • People tend to talk more about politics online than offline

•When we are exposed to diverse points of views on socialmedia • We become more open to different ideas and moderate our points of views

(Rojas, 2008)

Subsequent studies: The filter bubble argument

•Because of social media algorithms and self-selection, we increasingly tend to be exposed to views that reinforce our own(Pariser, 2011)

•Social media reinforce political segregation that exists in offline socialnetworks

•Exposure to homogenous views may contribute positively to engagementbut negatively to tolerance • If you are exposed to similar points of views, your ideas become stronger and you

might be more likely to participate in politics • However, you are more likely to become intolerant of others’ points of view

Social networks are increasingly segregated

•Social media are becoming more and more similar to “filter bubbles” • They don’t promote diversity of points of view but foster homogeneity of social networks

•As a consequence, our public spheres are likely to become less tolerant but possibly more participatory (at least at a superficiallevel)

Spread of misinformation in a polarized environment

Engagement and misinformation on social media

News and misinformation on social media

•Term “fake news” has become politicized • Misinformation or false information are better terms

•Growth of fake news factories in the US and Eastern Europe •Why does misinformation spread so fast across social networks?

• Partisan bias • News values: people like something interesting and bizarre • Mistrust in mainstream media • Lack of media literacy • Homogenous social media networks

Connection with the rise of media distrust?

Trends in media trust

Trends in media trust

How do we define ”mass media”?

• Are social media under the definition of media? • Does it depend on the age of the person who responds? • Should we trust all types of media at the same time?

• Go back to the first lecture and look at the level of “bias” for each media publication

Russian interference in the election •Russian operatives launched a campaign to influence the 2016 election with ads and meetings with campaign staffer

•Sophisticated campaign with targeted ads aimed at voters in swingstates •Goal: to sow mistrust and favor the Republicancandidate

Russian ads on Facebook

What has (and should) Facebook done?

•”Delay, deny, Deflect” •Tried to create systems where news are rated as credible by experts

•Cracked down on some fake news sites

•Promised more accountability

•Notification to Congress when there is an interference from a foreign power

•Should they do more? • Is Facebook a media company/a public forum/something completely different?

Covid 19- misinformation and chaos

• Misinformation on mass media has increased in the Covid 19 crisis • There has been a complete chaos online with every type of information spreading • News media outlets have not helped:

• Issues with reporting correctly on data • Difficulty of understanding and reporting how science works

• Great old (but still valid) John Oliver clip on that: • Reliance on politicians as sources

• The confusion sometimes is coming from [politicians and the scientific world • Some politicians have downplayed the virus • Debate on the effectiveness of masks • Scientists are often not trained in communication and don’t know how

to deal with journalists • Scientists are scared of saying in public: “we are not sure”

Data and resources on misinformation during the pandemic https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52903680

• 90% of misinformation remains online https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2020/04/17/covid-19-misinformation- remains-difficult-to-stop-on-social-media/#108054244819

• One third of social media users across the United States, as well as Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Spain and United Kingdom, reported seeing false or misleading information about coronavirus.

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/07/americans-are-fighting- coronavirus-misinformation-social-media/

• Americans are fighting misinformation https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/cdc-virus-takeaways.html

• Problems at the CDC with the pandemic response https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/07/americans-reach-peak-partisan-polarization- under-trump.html

• Increase in polarized views of the crisis

What are some possible solutions to stop misinformation?

•Media literacy in school and beyond •Having trusted media sources (local news for example) debunk misinformation

•Citizens speaking up on social media

•More mass media training on specific issues (scientific topics?)

•Movement against misinformation?