The Power of Disinformation

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Many of those people who went to the Capitol and some of whom engaged in property crime or even violent action against law enforcement officers honestly believed that the 2020 election was being stolen from Donald Trump. And so we know that disinformation can be incredibly powerful and can sometimes even be deadly. I mean, yes, personal responsibility, people have a responsibility to educate themselves about what's happening in the world. But it's so much harder to do now when in our current information environment, it's hard to tell what's true and what's not true.

It’s easy to mock those spouting outlandish and off-base claims on social media networks, but are there more effective ways to counter the spread of misinformation? Our guest Rick Hasen believes there are other solutions to tackling false information – whether it’s spread unintentionally or intentionally – which could pave the way for more lasting change.

Is it a matter of personal responsibility? Legislative fixes? Media reform? And what about the responsibilities of Big Tech and social media platforms?

In this episode, we talk about his latest book, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics – and How to Cure It, and some of the legal and political remedies he sees as potential solutions to the threat disinformation poses to our democracy and an informed electorate.

GUEST: Rick Hasen, Author, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics – and How to Cure It

Richard “Rick” Hasen teaches law and political science at the University of California Irvine, where he also is co-director of the university’s Fair Elections and Free Speech Center. His latest book, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics ― and How to Cure It, examines the dangers of disinformation, its viral spread, and the actors that are helping to push it into the mainstream. He is a nationally recognized expert in election law and campaign finance regulation. He has written more than 100 articles on election law issues, and remedies, in numerous publications. His op-ed and commentary works have appeared in major publications, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Slate. He is also the author of Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy and Plutocrats United: Campaign Money, the Supreme Court, and the Distortion of American Elections.

LINKS:
Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics – and How to Cure It
Results of YouGov poll on 2020 U.S. presidential election
Public Research Institute poll results
Jan. 6 , 2021 invasion of U.S. Capitol

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