The Cost of Mistakes

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The first person to frame the debate wins because you set the initial frame. Your mind is pre-tuned to find and want to confirm an affirm evidence of that specific explanation. People are much less likely to share a correction if they don't trust it. If you go searching for false information, you will always find it. But there's this sweet spot, which from our work in these election projects, if you get it at the right moment,. we have seen evidence of slowing down the misinformation or having that misinformation taken down.

How can tech companies help flatten the curve? First and foremost, they must address the lethal misinformation and disinformation circulating on their platforms. The problem goes much deeper than fake news, according to Claire Wardle, co-founder and executive director of First Draft. She studies the gray zones of information warfare, where bad actors mix facts with falsehoods, news with gossip, and sincerity with satire. “Most of this stuff isn't fake and most of this stuff isn't news,” Claire argues. If these subtler forms of misinformation go unaddressed, tech companies may not only fail to flatten the curve — they could raise it higher.