As November’s presidential election grows closer, experts are cautioning voters about the spread of false information and inflammatory rhetoric.
Politics and government professor Lane Crothers of Illinois State University and political science professor Greg Shaw of Illinois Wesleyan University spoke with WGLT about the issue, and they will address the topic again at a free voter outreach event on Sept. 15 in Normal.
The goal is to help people make sense of a sea of information of dubious quality and accuracy. While both were quick to acknowledge spreading false claims in politics is nothing new, Crothers explained technology has made the process easier and far more widespread.
“The systems of deception are so much more sophisticated, so much quicker, so much more global, so instantly — there’s the quote that a lie can make it around the world before the truth gets across the room,” Crothers said.
“And now you have the ability to photoshop things, AI things, create new scenarios, add things, and all at the speed of light, all instantly.”
Crothers also said Russian disinformation campaigns have picked up speed in the last decade. He said they push large amounts of online content and respond swiftly to engagement, making the task of sorting fact from fiction even more difficult.
Alongside the quality of information, the subject matter also is relevant to voters. Though the economy is sometimes a go-to answer for what voters care about, Shaw said it’s important to remember it doesn’t tell the whole story.
“I want to challenge the idea that somehow pocketbook voting is everything,” he said. “Pocketbook voting is a significant dynamic… but cultural issues grab people viscerally.”
Shaw gave migration into the U.S. as an example, explaining that while concern over jobs is an oft-cited reason for opposing immigration, intolerance for foreign cultures is a powerful factor in such opposition.
Crothers expanded on this idea, saying cultural issues have always been capable of spawning political momentum, even before instant communication. He said organizing around racial or religious prejudice, for example, has always been prevalent, but gains unprecedented ease of networking via social media.
In a time of easily exacerbated polarization, Shaw said the conventional wisdom of courting centrism to win elections has eroded. He observed candidates are now more focused on turning out a motivated base of support.
“At this point, the elections are mainly about turnout in areas that are competitive, it’s, ‘If I can mobilize my people better than the other guy’. And so cultural issues do that really well because if I want to talk about reproductive rights, there wouldn’t seem to be much middle ground on that,” Shaw said.
Navigating the election cycle
Overall, Crothers and Shaw painted a picture of a difficult environment for voters to parse, with candidates increasingly incentivized to pursue sharp cultural divides, and a media landscape poised to amplify them. However, the two did offer advice for navigating the turbulent election cycle.
Both endorsed a broad media diet of professional journalism, and being skeptical of social media as a news source.
Shaw said it’s important to think about who’s providing a piece of information, and what evidence led them to believe it. He also expressed wariness for sources that feel completely agreeable or comforting, as it can be a sign of only hearing one side of a discussion.
Crothers echoed this thought with an eye toward the motives of political campaigns.
“Everyone in involved in a campaign, arguably everyone involved in politics, is trying to sell you something, and they’re really good at it,” Crothers said.
“And the moment they get you is the moment you figure what they’re saying fits the story you want told.”
Crothers said when a message can be spread and refined so quickly, the danger of falling into a comfortable conclusion are greater.
Crothers and Shaw will speak on "Election Decision-Making: Facts or Emotions" from 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at Normal First United Methodist Church, 211 N. School St., Normal.
