Electioncast: How did social media shape the election?
Jul 7, 2024
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Marianna Spring, Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent, joins the host to discuss the impact of fake content, AI, and algorithms on elections. They analyze the influence of social media accounts and explore challenges in shaping public opinion. The discussion reflects on future trends and the importance of addressing misinformation persistently.
Misinformation, like deep fakes, can sway voter opinions.
Social media algorithms amplify certain political messages.
Deep dives
Election Misinformation and Fake Content
The podcast episode delves into the impact of misinformation and fake content on elections, particularly focusing on deep fakes and edited clips shared by political activists. It highlights how such content, although not always sophisticated, can influence public opinion and create disinformation. The example shared about a fake audio clip circulated during the election campaign demonstrates how even seemingly minor fake content can have significant repercussions on voter perceptions.
Algorithm Influence on Political Discourse
The discussion explores the role of algorithms in shaping political conversations on social media platforms. It emphasizes how algorithms prioritize content that elicits strong reactions, leading to the amplification of certain political messages. The podcast illustrates how algorithms contribute to reinforcing existing beliefs and opinions, potentially polarizing public discourse. The example provided about the algorithm pushing reform content to younger individuals showcases how these systems influence what users see, regardless of their initial interests.
Influence of Bots and Online Behavior
The episode examines the prevalence of bots and automated fake accounts in online political engagement, highlighting the complexities in identifying and addressing their impact. It discusses how accusations of bot activity can shape reactions and perceptions, even when the reality is more nuanced. The podcast emphasizes the need to differentiate between genuine accounts and suspicious ones, considering motives ranging from political support to trolling or foreign interference. The impact of real people's efforts in manipulating online conversations is underlined as a significant factor in shaping public opinion during elections.
All the things we learnt from the undercover voters in the election.
On this episode of Newscast, Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent Marianna Spring joins Adam to explain what we learnt from the undercover voters over the past few weeks.
Using data from the National Centre for Social Research, Marianna set up fictional social media profiles for twenty four undercover voters based in eight constituencies around the UK, and gained an insight into voters' digital worlds during the election.
Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Gemma Roper. George Dabby and Cordelia Hemming are the Undercover Voter producers. The technical producer is Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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