Disinformation and its Role in the 2020 Election.

    As the 2020 election wraps up we turn the page on a monumental moment in American history. Joseph R. Biden Jr. will become the 46th President of the United States following a crazy election cycle. This election featured something that we have only seen once before, that is the usage of social media. President Donald Trump is well known for his tweets and active presence online. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even Snapchat have given him a direct way of connecting with his audience without the interference of a writer, producer, or editor. 2016 was the first glimpse of his strategy but it became apparent that it was THE formula. Following that election nearly anyone holding political office has created a Twitter account after realizing its power. The 2020 election saw nothing change. President Trump continually fired off dozens of tweets a day while then Former Vice President Joe Biden followed suit doing the exact same. 

    Although this is a very effective method of reaching the target audience it also has major downsides. Without that second eye to see what is said or put into text the President essentially had full reign of his account, leading to lies and Disinformation being spread to millions instantly. Throughout the President’s entirety of time in office, he has harped on the fact that mainstream media is spreading “Fake News”. Pushing the idea that these networks are against him and don’t want us hearing the real things he is saying. Although it is proven that the President is partially correct and many have caught on, it wasn’t always necessarily the truth.

    Disinformation is best known as purposely spreading false information for a reason. Whether that be to gain a political advantage or simply get back at someone this was a reoccurring theme throughout the President’s time in office. None more closely watched than this past week. President Trump has been calling for poll watchers and recounts in many of the key battleground states that he has lost. In most instances saying that Mail-in Ballots are “fraudulent” even going as far as to say “California is sending mail-in ballots to anyone living in the state no matter who they are or how they got there”. With no evidence of this ever coming to fruition this is textbook Disinformation. An attempt to gain a political advantage by spreading false information to ruin the reputation of another person or the entire election itself. 

    Although Disinformation is harmful and its been around for ages, over the past 4 years we have seen more of it than we ever have. Leading to millions of Trump supporters believing every word that comes out of his mouth. I would say I align more conservative than liberal, but the difference is I understand that fact-checking and researching on my own is something that is vitally important to this democracy. It’s acceptable to support Donald Trump and it’s acceptable to support Joe Biden but it’s more important to do your OWN research rather than believing every piece of information that any politician spoon feeds YOU. It's what makes this democracy so great.




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