The Misinformation age in politics

In a world where information is at our fingertips it is no surprise to see how misinformation has spread. As a politics student who focused on political communication for her dissertation I have seen how easily misinformation can spread. Similarly I have seen how political actors and journalists can use misinformation to push their own narratives, shape public opinion and to influence elections. 

Misinformation is defined as false or misleading information shared without the intent to deceive which is often interchangeably used with disinformation which is deliberately deceptive. Whilst their intentions differ, both can have implications for political outcomes when used by political actors. The rise of using social media platforms for political information has allowed for these platforms to become a fertile environment where misinformation spreads faster than ever. 

The 2016 Brexit referendum has become famous for misinformation as the NHS bus is a now well known example of factual inaccuracy. The Leave campaign suggested that the £350 million going towards the EU would go towards the NHS if the UK left which was misleading. However it no doubt made an impact on many people and how they voted in the election. My dissertation focused on the 2024 UK General Election and my research highlighted how similar techniques were used by both the Labour and Conservatives campaign in order to highlight the successes of their party and the failures of the opposition. 

This technique of highlighting other parties faults out of context is not limited to the UK. With deep fakes of mimicking Joe Biden’s voice spreading across the US as one example. The use of out of context quotes and emotional language is applied to most elections and by political actors across the world to sway public opinion. 

Misinformation works because it feeds into what people are already thinking about or are fearing. It is used as a technique to create doubt about the opposition party in political campaigning. When there are unclear narratives and conflicting information the electorate can question what the truth is. It is where the public find themselves now not able to trust sources and democratic institutions more broadly. 

Organisations are being enabled to reduce the impact of misinformation. Fact checking organisations work to debunk false claims. As well as media literacy campaigns for people to be able to spot misleading content. Throughout my research of the content during the 2024 UK General Election I found there were labelling tools and algorithms that aim to reduce the spread of misinformation. However the tools used on social media are not enough to limit misinformation spreading. 

As a person who is committed to factual and unbiased story telling I believe there is a need for greater transparency and accountability in political communication. The truth has to be what is most important when using digital media. As a future journalist I am passionate about contributing to an environment where reporting is fair, fact checked and rooted in deep understanding of context - because I believe that truth still matters.