In lead up to U.S. election, employ these tactics to combat misinformation

By Katalina Deaven

Communications Coordinator

Center for Media Engagement

Austin, Texas, USA

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As the United States enters another contentious election cycle, media organisations once again face the challenge of combatting election-related misinformation. As a critical resource for communities, local newsrooms must have the tools they need to detect and deal with false information.

The strategies below are shared from experts in mis- and disinformation who attended the Center for Media Engagement's misinformation symposium prior to the 2022 mid-term elections.

Disinformation has sowed confusion and lack of trust toward media.

Tools for detecting, reporting, and tracking misinformation

Newsrooms may find the following tools helpful in detecting and managing misinformation.

• Junkipedia (free): Used for detecting misinformation on social media. Helpful for image and video analysis and for tracking threats across users, geographies, and platforms. Allows you to save posts, videos, and tweets to a dashboard that can be referenced later.
• Open Measures (free): Detects misinformation hotspots on social media and is useful when searching for a specific piece of misinformation across multiple social platforms.
• Twitter (X) API: Provides data from the past week and offers the ability to collect tweets about topics or keywords.
• DataMinr and Newswhip: Can both be used to get ahead of possible misinformation and track emerging risks on public platforms.
• FotoForensics, Deepware, and Tineye (free): All three help identify doctored images. Tineye allows for reverse image searches.
• The Wayback Machine (free) and Trackly.io: Internet archive resources that show the history of a Web site. These resources can be useful when sorting out potentially problematic content.

This video can help you learn more about data tools for tackling misinformation from Jo Lukito (Center for Media Engagement) and Christian McDonald (The University of Texas at Austin). And watch this video to learn more about deep-fake detection from Matt Groh (MIT Media Lab).

Reporting strategies

Consider adopting the following strategies in order to manage misinformation this election season.

• Pre-bunk misinformation: Proactively release stories on topics that are likely to spark mis- and disinformation. Explainer pieces and resource lists are helpful. Also consider pieces that help educate people on what to look out for when consuming content (like checking sources and the background of the author, going beyond the headline, etc.).
• Investigate statements of fact: When considering what to fact check, stick to statements with clear benchmarks (like statistics, quotes, or dates) to prevent wasting time investigating claims that cannot be proven right or wrong.
• Pick your battles: Make group decisions about what to fact check. Fact checks can sometimes amplify false information and end up doing more harm than good. Think about the impact and consider factors like how widespread the misinformation is when making decisions on what to cover.
• Use your network: Reach out to experts on the topic who can help verify information. Talk to colleagues who might point you to a new resource. Review claims with as many people and organisations as possible. Also, have someone else fact check your work and review the statements and conclusions.
• Provide your sources: Transparency about where you got information helps establish credibility. Incorporate the work of reputable fact-checking organisations into your reports.
• Integrate findings: Use the truth sandwich technique - a piece of false information between two pieces of true information. For example, start with the context, follow with the false statement, and end with a correction.
• Keep a record: Back up the original piece of misinformation by saving a copy to a computer or archiving it on Junkipedia or the Wayback Machine.

Watch this video to learn more about fact-checking techniques from D'Angelo Gore (FactCheck.org).

Addressing election legitimacy concerns

People are increasingly cautious about what they read and see in the media. Lend legitimacy to your work with the following strategies.

• Create thoughtful visuals: Carefully consider your election night visuals (images, graphs, and diagrams) and how they influence perceptions of legitimacy. Ask yourself whether or not they could be misleading.
• Provide explanations: Don't assume that every person has the same level of understanding. Give explanations for processes that people might not understand, such as how early election returns work and why the results may change over time, how mail-in ballots are sent out and counted in the lead-up to the election, and the differences in election rules across states.
• Be transparent: Help people understand your process. Show them how you developed the story and where they might access those same resources.
• Avoid showcasing extremes: Represent all sides in your coverage but avoid relying too often on extreme views. They might make a good sound bite, but they can skew people's perceptions.

This video provides more information about crafting election coverage that educates and legitimises from Gina Masullo and Caroline Murray (Center for Media Engagement).

Engaging with marginalised communities

Some marginalised communities are increasingly wary of the media. Use the following strategies to engage with them.

• Work with community leaders: Work with leaders who are trusted in their community. They can help you learn about the community you are serving and can also help share information.
• Create a pre-bunk plan: Talk to community members to find out what questions they have. Use the feedback to create stories that help people learn the facts and get ahead of misinformation.
• Meet people where they are: While it may be easier to focus on major social media platforms like Facebook and X, pay attention to other platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and YouTube that are often used by marginalised communities. Making information available and accessible in several languages and on multiple platforms can help to bridge the gap.
• Bring empathy: Use language that fosters a sense of unity instead of language that could increase divisiveness.

This video provides more misinformation about targeting marginalised communities from Jacobo Licona (Equis Labs), Summer Lopez (PEN America), and Kayo Mimizuka (Center for Media Engagement).

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About Katalina Deaven

Katalina Deaven is the communications coordinator at the Center for Media Engagement located in Austin, Texas, USA. She can be reached at [email protected] or @EngagingNews.

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