comment this story
Comment
Even when a source of information is known to be unreliable, research shows, many people will begin to believe a claim if it is repeated often enough.
This is why it is so important to stop disinformation when we can, a task that unfortunately often starts at home.
This story is part of our Democracy Toolkit.
We’re making it easy to find stories about the 2022 midterm elections and why they matter to you, including: Click here to customize your own set of tools.
Correcting friends and family about what they share online can be stressful, but it counts. Experts say we’re more likely to change our point of view if we’re approached by someone we care about, especially if that person is someone we tend to agree with. Researchers studying the circulation of false information on WhatsApp and other messaging platforms found that corrections received from a family member or close friend are shared more frequently than those sent by a casual acquaintance.
Mademoiselleosaki spoke with half a dozen experts who study political disinformation on the Internet, how it spreads and the ways people tell fact from fiction. They say the key is to be empathetic. Listen and try to understand someone’s concerns. Share the sources you use to gather trusted news and information. And if you really want to change someone’s point of view, be prepared for multiple conversations, not just one chat.
It starts with friendship, not facts.
Mike Wagner, a professor and political scientist at the University of Wisconsin, said it’s important to remember that “facts don’t matter” for many people who share misinformation. They often do not trust mainstream news sources or political institutions. Find the shared experiences that bring you together and show that you are not on the attack or calling them stupid.
“Aim for the heart, not the head,” he said. “If the facts worked, there would be no need to have the conversation.”
Wagner said you can disarm someone by engaging in “cost talk,” which is when people share concessions that are “bad for their side.” From there, Wagner suggests trying to discover the person’s trusted sources. If they don’t listen to the mainstream media or public officials, for example, who will they listen to? Are those sources sharing accurate information?
Leticia Bode, a Georgetown University professor who studies disinformation interventions, said her advice is to always be kind and empathetic. We’ve all been misinformed at some point, Ella Bode said. It’s best to approach the conversation with the best of intentions.
“Take a deep breath and try to let go of any emotions you feel related to misinformation,” Bode said. “A lot of misinformation, and especially misinformation, is created to stir up emotions.”
Keep online messages short
If your conversation is actually a reply on social media or a text message in a group chat, try to keep the message short, too. “Don’t overwhelm them with information,” Bode said. Share a link to a credible source and then continue. “You can’t get bogged down in proofreading all day,” he said.
Ask: ‘Where did you learn that?’
Instead of telling someone that what they think is true is wrong, ask them where they first heard it, said John Silva, director of the News Literacy Project. Were they listening to a podcast? Reading an article? Or did they find it on Twitter?
Once you’ve asked them to share where they get their information, share their sources of information as well, Silva said. Talk about what those organizations or people have reported and why you trust what they have said.
Silva suggests following up and asking, “How can I help you trust what I trust?” or “What would it take for you to trust” in the electoral process?
Talk about the money behind the misinformation
When talking to someone who believes in a conspiracy theory, Wagner said it can be helpful to ask: Who benefits from you believing this? Who is raising money or making money from the audience they have built from this?
Wagner said it can be helpful to remind people that if someone in a mainstream news outlet like Mademoiselleosaki or NPR reports something that is false, they can be fired.
“People who work for really ideological talk shows or podcasts don’t have the same concern,” Wagner said. “They don’t get into trouble in the same way.”
Deen Freelon, a professor and researcher at the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media who studies disinformation spreading on social media, said people need to understand that misinformation and disinformation are a profitable business. both for those who share it and for social networks. media platforms on which they share it.
“For the bottom line, it’s very good, but from a democratic, social and public relations perspective it’s pretty bad,” Freelon said.
Don’t debate at the Thanksgiving table
Experts say that the holiday table is not the place to have these conversations.
Instead, invite someone over for coffee and turn it into a one-on-one conversation, Silva said. Better yet, wait for that person to mention the election or the news on his account and be ready to respond. Avoid confrontations.
“None of us want to feel humiliated. None of us like to be wrong. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling,” Silva said. “We want to provide a safe path for these people to acknowledge that they were manipulated.”
Set the record straight in family group text
The person who first shared the misinformation will always be the hardest to convince. Instead, she may want to consider everyone else reading the post. Bode found that people are less likely to believe misinformation when they see that others have been corrected.
Bode said there’s always a risk that a person will be upset that your response discredits their claims on Twitter or Facebook. Therefore, he recommends “a hybrid approach” in which he “gently” corrects online and tries to talk to someone offline as well.
If voices start to rise, if your blood starts to boil, “you need to back off,” Silva said. It’s almost impossible to pick up the conversation once it turns into a confrontation.
“You’re not necessarily going to fix this in conversation,” Silva said. “Maybe I should just back off and say ‘Maybe we can talk about this later.’ ”
In Wisconsin, 1 in 5 people say they have ended relationships with friends or family because of politics and recent state and national elections, Wagner said. Conversations about politics, especially with those close to you, can quickly get personal. Sometimes you may decide that the “emotional labor” of these conversations isn’t worth it anymore, Wagner said.
“Not everyone is persuadable,” he said. “It’s okay if you’ve done your best and they just can’t see it.”
Remember that changing your mind takes time
While it’s possible to change someone’s mind, experts say it’s almost always It takes more than one conversation. “You have to think of it as a long game,” Freelon said. The people you are talking to need to see that you are “personally invested” in the outcome.
Madeline Jalbert, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington who studies how people judge the truth, said we are all vulnerable to misinformation. Once you’ve heard and start to believe a falsehood like, “The election was stolen,” it’s hard to “go back to a place” where you’ve never considered that point before, she Jalbert said.
“All of us have beliefs that don’t completely match reality,” Jalbert said. “It is something that is very difficult to correct.”
Source: news.google.com