To strengthen our democracy, we must build our resilience to misinformation

There is growing awareness in Canada that the spread of misinformation and disinformation poses a serious threat to our democracy. During an election this threat is particularly apparent, but the risks continue even after the polls close. What is this phenomenon, how does it spread, and what are its effects? Most importantly, how can we as citizens do our part to prevent the spread of false or misleading information? We all have a role to play in building our capacity to identify and respond to damaging misinformation, and in helping to stop its spread in our communities.

Misinformation is false, misleading or inaccurate information spread regardless of intention. The term disinformation refers to a type of misinformation that is intentionally created or spread for the purpose of deception. False or misleading information can be disseminated through any channel: social media, online, traditional media, or face-to-face connections. It may be espoused by leaders or spread within groups. It can be the result of foreign interference. It is also amplified by new technology: in the last year, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has doubled its influence in this sphere. Social media platforms are particularly susceptible to the spread of misinformation.

We can ask what the motivation is for creating disinformation, and who benefits from it. During an election, a primary motivation for disseminating disinformation is to influence voter behaviour by instigating and promoting legitimacy concerns regarding candidates or groups. More broadly, misinformation erodes trust in democratic processes and damages citizens’ confidence in the electoral system. The erosion of trust leads to decreased voter engagement, an increase in political polarization and divisiveness, and loss of public confidence in electoral outcomes. Misinformation about voting procedures can even lead to voter suppression in some communities. These dynamics pose a significant threat to our democracy.

Trust has become the main issue. How do we know who to trust and what to trust? It is our responsibility to think critically and consider who will benefit from the information as presented. We need to recognize that we are all susceptible to misinformation. It can be tricky to spot, since it often involves true information that has been taken out of context or twisted in a misleading way. Some misinformation “red flags” to watch for include attack ads, inflammatory headlines, sensationalized attempts to associate negative emotions with particular people or parties, manipulated images, cherry-picking of facts, and information taken out of context.

There are ways to build your resilience to misinformation. The Canadian grassroots organization Evidence For Democracy has a great toolkit for addressing misinformation here. Here are some strategies to consider as you grow your capacity to identify and prevent the spread of misinformation:

• Apply critical and analytical thinking, particularly when presented with information that supports conclusions you agree with. Check your facts.
• Do your research to increase your knowledge of the topic.
• Engage with news from a variety of sources and with opinions that you disagree with.
• Check sources and vet information before sharing.

If you do come across misinformation, there are ways to respond. During this federal election period, the Canadian Digital Media Research Network is taking an active role in monitoring and responding to information manipulation. You can report suspicious digital content to their Digital Threat Tipline. The decision to engage with misinformation in personal and community realms requires some careful consideration. Evidence shows that correcting misinformation is most effective if it is done privately, rather than in public settings, and if there is a trust relationship between the people involved. Demonstrating empathy and avoiding aggressive tones is also helpful for successfully engaging with misinformation at the personal level.

Want to learn more about misinformation and how to build your resilience? Check out Evidence for Democracy’s recent webinar recording on this topic here. The Government of Canada has some useful information about detecting and reporting disinformation here.

And if you are interested in learning more about the federal government’s engagement with the issue of foreign interference and its efforts to safeguard democratic processes, you may want to look at this summary of the 2018 Elections Modernization Act. As well, a summary of the findings of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference, which released its final report earlier this year, can be found here.

Photo by Murat Ts. on Unsplash