Disinformation can be extremely harmful during an election: it can confuse voters, dissuade them from voting, delegitimize results, and more. It’s critical, as a result, that journalists be prepared to counteract it. This entails understanding how it spreads and what tools are at our disposal to stop it.
Where does disinformation circulate? False content doesn’t just spread on social media. Rumors and dirty campaigns existed long before these platforms emerged, after all. But the ease with which anyone can publish and spread false information on social media today has changed the dynamics.
The path that disinformation often follows is like a trumpet: it begins in small circles, such as Telegram and WhatsApp groups, or other smaller social networks. As it gains traction, it moves to more open platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, among others.
Identifying the spaces in which disinformation circulates can buy us time to prepare before the harmful narratives hit the big social networks and reach hundreds of thousands more people.
[Read more: How to counteract false narratives around ineligible voters]
The best time to fact-check disinformation is once it is spreading on the bigger platforms. Debunking disinformation too early on, when it is still circulating in small circles, can unintentionally give the disinformation more visibility. Even by disproving a false claim, we help put the issue on the agenda and make people who have not been exposed to it...
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