Claire Wardle
Our information ecosystem is in crisis. Trust in traditional gatekeepers is declining, while rumours and conspiracies cause real-world harm. From arson attacks on 5G towers to vaccine refusal to democratic erosion, the impact is clear. Social media platforms have played a key role in the disseminagenuinely
tion of misinformation. But, as a British researcher on misinformation based in the US, I have seen two critical factors that explain why the crisis has been so pronounced in America: the devastation of local journalism, and the rise of hyperpartisan television news and talk radio.
The 6th January riots were a turning point for many of us who study misinformation. Those who stormed the barricades weren’t merely people who had watched one too many conspiratorial videos on YouTube. As they rampaged through the Capitol rotunda, it was clear they were living in a shared, alternate reality. They truly believed that they were the ones protecting democracy and upholding the constitution. What we now know is that they had been exposed to a torrent of almost identical content for the previous two months: content from the president, from their Facebook feeds, their group chats, their favourite talkshow radio hosts and 24-hour cable. It is likely—and this is the case for most people on the left in the US too—that they weren’t consuming any content or spending any time with people that challenged their existing views.
I often get asked about “solutions.” My go-to response every time is that Americans must invest in public service media in a way that rivals what you have in Britain. The BBC—sometimes imperfectly— provides British people with such a comprehensive service that they bump into it without even thinking, whether that’s the Strictly final or primetime news headlines. The only things I watch in the US that feel truly shared are the ads that get aired during the Super Bowl.
The idea that this is the time to withdraw funding from the BBC is unfathomable. Misinformation impacts everything, from the financial markets to election security to trust in science. Mitigating its impact should be everyone’s priority.
Claire Wardle is the director of First Draft, a New York-based non-profit dedicated to tackling the challenges of misinformation
The BBC provides such a comprehensive service that people bump into it without even thinking