Very important thread on misinfo research (this tweet is from the middle, but it makes the most important point):
https://twitter.com/kreissdaniel/status/1323275546751623174
Let me separate out several distinct points:
1. Misinfo is probably not going to sway the election. Yes, it is scary that foreign interests are trying to manipulate us. Luckily, that kind of manipulation is extremely difficult to pull off.
1. Misinfo is probably not going to sway the election. Yes, it is scary that foreign interests are trying to manipulate us. Luckily, that kind of manipulation is extremely difficult to pull off.
2. The most impactful disinfo likely comes from American elites--politicians, talking heads, Twitter micropundits. They have large, trusting audiences. That's a big reason for the 38-point partisan split in confidence in vote-by-mail 11alive.com/article/news/p…
3. Mis/disinfo research doesn't incorporate identity, especially race, nearly enough. This is not a unique problem--it has afflicted nearly every area of social inquiry, with the key exception of critical theory, basically since forever.
4. Mis/disinfo's biggest effects may not be tied to direct exposure, but rather in how it makes it even harder to separate truth from fiction. Its mere existence makes confirmation bias a much more attractive heuristic for accepting unverified claims.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
