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Is social media being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states? Is social media being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states?
Yes, social media is being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states Yes, social media is being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states
No, social media is not being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states No, social media is not being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states
During the 2016 US election polarising content was concentrated in swing states During the 2016 US election polarising content was concentrated in swing states
Social media has made it easier to target specific areas anonymously Social media has made it easier to target specific areas anonymously
Disinformation was circulated online during the 2020 presidential primaries Disinformation was circulated online during the 2020 presidential primaries
Lies surrounding coronavirus are being spread to stop voters from showing up Lies surrounding coronavirus are being spread to stop voters from showing up
Foreign states have attempted to influence the 2020 election Foreign states have attempted to influence the 2020 election
Celebrity endorsements are influencing voter opinions Celebrity endorsements are influencing voter opinions
The majority of Americans were not exposed to fake news during the 2016 election The majority of Americans were not exposed to fake news during the 2016 election
Voter suppression is a myth Voter suppression is a myth
Social media’s influence on voters is exaggerated Social media’s influence on voters is exaggerated
Twitter is robust to the spread of fake news Twitter is robust to the spread of fake news
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Is social media being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states?
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No, social media is not being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states

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The majority of Americans were not exposed to fake news during the 2016 election

Social media is not being used to target the disenfranchised in swing states. The use of fake news in politics is overstated and the majority of Americans were not actually exposed to disinformation during the 2016 presidential election.
Yochai Benkler
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The Argument

A study of more than 16,000 Twitter users found that only a small fraction of fake news spread during the 2016 presidential election.[1] Only a small number saw the majority of misinformation, and those that saw it were typically older and politically conservative. Therefore the effect of fake news, and in particular its effect on swing states may have been less pervasive on social media during the election than originally thought.

Counter arguments

Even a small amount of fake news could have an impact on the political process and therefore on the US presidential election.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/01/majority-americans-were-not-exposed-fake-news-2016-us-election-twitter-study-suggests
This page was last edited on Saturday, 24 Oct 2020 at 16:51 UTC

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