NPR Perpetuates Disinformation Alarmism Surrounding 2024 Election Despite Research Showing It Isn’t a Concern
“2024 elections are ripe targets for foes of democracy” read the headline of a recent NPR article. Nora Benavidez, who was featured in the article, explained “It really feels like the perfect storm,” stating “40-ish determinative national elections next year. Over 2 billion people globally will be voting or at least have the option to vote ... and social media is still such a pervasive and common way that people get information.”
However, Magda Osman— a professor and researcher at the University of Cambridge— recently published an article entitled “disinformation is often blamed for swaying elections – the research says something else,” in which she debunks the idea that disinformation threatens democracy. In her article, Osman cites several international studies that showcased “low effects of fake news on persuading voters,” including research showing fake news consumption only accounted for 6% of total news consumption. Other researchers have openly stated disinformation alarmism is overblown due to the low effect disinformation has on voting outcomes. This disinformation alarmism can be further compounded by psychological effects like the third-person effect, where individuals tend to overestimate the influence media has on others when compared to themselves.
Ultimately, disinformation and propaganda can certainly have real-world effects on voters, something that Osman concludes in her piece. Still, she warns scientists “should be careful not to assign disinformation as the sole explanation for election results that go against predictions” as research originating from multiple disciplines in multiple countries continues to conclude the threat remains minimal.
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