A new political playbook for countering disinformation
Mar 12, 2024
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Journalist Sasha Issenberg discusses the new playbook for countering disinformation in political campaigns, focusing on strategies used in the 2020 election. The podcast explores the impact of social media and AI, the challenges of addressing false narratives, and the evolving relationship between political consultants and tech platforms.
Campaigns must prioritize responses to disinformation based on potential impact on voter perceptions.
Differentiating between various types of disinformation and tailoring responses to address voter concerns directly is crucial for countering false narratives effectively.
Deep dives
Evolving Strategies Against Disinformation
Political campaigns have adopted new strategies to combat disinformation in the era of social media and artificial intelligence. Sasha Eisenberg's book 'The Lie Detectives' delves into how campaigns adapted in 2020 and how these lessons apply in 2024. Eisenberg highlights the challenge of distinguishing signal from noise in online falsehoods and the need to prioritize responses based on potential impact on voter perceptions.
Biden Campaign's Disinformation Response
The 2020 Biden campaign focused on countering disinformation effectively by understanding voter responses. By differentiating between disinformation concerning Hunter Biden's alleged corruption and 'sleepy Joe' narratives, the campaign tailored its responses to address voters' concerns directly. Strategic media approaches, such as showcasing Biden's unedited statements on key issues, were found to be impactful in shaping voter perceptions and countering damaging narratives.
Platform Dynamics and Political Response
Political consultants express frustration with social media platforms' handling of disinformation, citing a lack of alignment between platforms' policies and enforcement actions. Campaigns emphasize the need for proportional responses to disinformation based on its potential electoral impact, considering factors like audience reach and voter persuadability. The changing landscape of technology and shifting platform attitudes suggest the necessity for continual adaptation in responding to disinformation in election cycles.
The rise in online disinformation has forced political campaigns to develop a new playbook. Journalist Sasha Issenberg tackles that subject in his new book, “The Lie Detectives.” He joins POLITICO Tech to break down lessons from the front lines of the 2020 election and how campaigns are applying them this time around.