In the modern world, information is the most valuable asset. People who own it can use it to achieve multiple purposes. Since today’s technological advancements make it possible for almost everyone to distribute their thoughts and opinions, trustworthiness is a case. Not many people check the credibility of identified information, and it allows fake news to appear. This phenomenon adversely impacts the whole globe, and the United States is not an exception. Thus, the essay will demonstrate how fake news affected the 2016 and 2020 elections and endangered the American system of democracy as well as comment on how this phenomenon can be combatted.
To begin with, one should explain what fake news is. The first meaning refers to inaccurate news pieces that are distributed in society. These pieces are often intentionally fabricated to influence public opinion. Quandt et al. also offer the second interpretation of the term, denoting “a polemic umbrella term meant to discredit ‘legacy’ news media” (1). It implies that this word combination can be used to doubt a story, concept, or even entire media source. The term became popularized during the 2016 election when the then-candidate Donald Trump excessively used it. This information allows for supposing that the word combination became a central concept of his presidential campaign. It refers to the fact that Trump actively relied on the term to undermine his opponents’ positions and gain public support. This state of affairs explains why fake news expanded rapidly in 2016.
It seems that Trump’s strategy became successful, and he did not want to leave it during his presidency. According to Sebenius, false claims and discrimination were characteristic features of Trump’s term in office (par. 4). The former president kept using the term against independent media, which created a danger for the freedom of speech in the United States. This fact allows for supposing that the continuous effect of the concept under analysis led to the emergence of an adverse context of the 2020 election. The rationale behind this statement is that information became polarized, reflecting public opinions. That is why in 2020, the topic of fake news was also acute, and it referred to the opportunity of external forces, including China, Russia, and Iran, to influence the election outcomes. However, the fact that Joe Biden won demonstrates that society became tired of fake news. That is why it is reasonable to identify specific details of how this phenomenon influences the US, and the following paragraph will comment on it.
It is possible to offer a few arguments to highlight the negative impact of fake news on democracy. Firstly, Hollyer et al. clarify that adverse outcomes can emerge when the government deliberately announces inaccurate information regarding economic health (par. 4). When it happens, this state of affairs can result in the fact that voters make wrong decisions. It can result in a scenario that a corrupt government wins reelection, meaning that the democratic principle of honest election is not followed. Secondly, if the situation above occurs, the general public can understand that high-ranking officials or partisan organizations have deceived them. In this case, it is possible to expect the rise of anti-democratic forces in society, leading to mass dissatisfaction or even civil unrest. Thirdly, one can state that fake news deprives the US of transparency that is a significant element of democracy. The rationale behind this statement is that people tend to doubt any piece of information, which eliminates transparency. This information reveals a vital link between fake news and endangered democracy.
The information above denotes that it is necessary to take specific measures to combat the phenomenon under consideration and its adverse impact. On the one hand, society and individuals bear the responsibility to ensure that they are not victims of false data. For that purpose, they are recommended not to take politicians’ words for granted. A helpful tip is to look for sources of information. In this case, official resources, including the government website, scientific studies, international organizations’ reports, and others, are of significance. On the other hand, social media is also responsible for combating the spread of fake news. One can admit that there exist multiple strategies to protect society from the adverse impact of disinformation. Since the concept under investigation is complex, it is challenging to offer a single efficient solution. Thus, Collins et al. stipulate that a practical approach is to combine the machine learning approach to detect fake news based on their headlines with human experts who will check the machine learning results (258). It denotes that every media organization should take specific steps to stop the spread of fake news.
In conclusion, it is impossible to deny the fact that fake news is an adverse phenomenon. It became popularized during the 2016 election, while the following years of Trump’s presidency promoted its spread. Scientific studies and reputable newspaper articles reveal an adverse impact of this phenomenon on individuals, society, and the American system of democracy. It happens because fake news provides people with false information that, in turn, makes them make wrong decisions during the election. That is why it is not a surprise that ordinary people and mass media should take specific steps to combat the issue. Media organizations can utilize a multifaceted approach to check whether the information is credible, while individuals should look for original and official sources of data instead of taking it for granted.
References
Collins, Botambu, et al. “Trends in Combating Fake News on Social Media – A Survey.” Journal of Information and Telecommunication, vol. 5, no. 2, 2021, pp. 247-266.
Hollyer, James R., et al. “Fake News Is Bad News for Democracy.” The Washington Post, 2019. Web.
Quandt, Throsten, et al. “Fake News.” The International Encyclopedia of Journalism, 2019, pp. 1-6.
Sebenius, Alyza. “Why Disinformation Is a Major Threat to the 2020 Election.” The Washington Post, 2020. Web.