This story is the 1st in our series of social media misinformation. Brought to you by Eye On Ohio, Ohio’s Center for Investigative Reporting and First Draft
The 2016 Presidential Election
Think back to 2016. President Obama was still in the White House, Cleveland was excited and preparing to host the RNC, and Democrats were deciding between Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders. We saw a lot of voting laws changed and began to hear about states purging voters.
As African Americans, many of us felt betrayed, scared or angry by what seemed to be the constant killing of unarmed Black people by police. Movements like Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter and the teachings of Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party filled our Facebook accounts.
Internet Research Agency Post, reprinted from the New York Times
While the movements and protest may have seemed unrelated to our upcoming presidential elections, we now know that those social media post and some of those accounts were created by Russians and others to disrupt the election.
Read: Some of the Popular Images and Themes the Russians Posted on Social Media- New York Times
Read: Russian 2016 Influence Operation Targeted African-Americans on Social Media
Internet Research Agency Post, reprinted from the New York Times
O-H…I-O
Ohio has always been a major player when it comes to electing a President. We’re known as being a swing state which means that any party can win in any election. In fact, it’s often said that whichever party wins Ohio, wins the White House. So, if someone wanted to influence or simply win the election you could bet Ohio would be on their radar.
This takes me back to 2016. While we were preparing to host the RNC, there was an influence to disrupt or influence the election using social media. Many of those posts showed up on our Facebook pages and Instagram accounts. But…did you notice it and more importantly, did you share it and help the disruption grow?
One more thing to add about elections. African Americans have historically been seen as a stronghold for the Democrats. Black women have been called one of the most reliable segments of voters when it comes to turnout. However, in 2016, voter turnout for African Americans was down 12% nationwide from 2012.
Fast Forward to 2020
2020 was a big year, even before the global pandemic. With the census and another presidential election, it is highly possible and probable that we’ll be seeing more memes, fake sites, imposter accounts and websites posing as news outlets.
Realizing that we were all targeted and would likely be targeted again I felt the need to do something and could use your help.
I received a fellowship from First Draft, a global nonprofit tackling information disorder and Eye On Ohio, the Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism to research and report on the misinformation and disinformation being spread and seen on our social media accounts.
While the main focus is content regarding the census, voting, elections as well as COVID-19, I will be studying trends that our communities are seeing over the course of the year and taking your concerns to identify reporting voids where confusion exist.
So how can you help?
Share what you’re seeing or what friends are sending you. We have built a sort of tip line where you can take a screenshot and upload what you are seeing. Also, make sure you signed up for our newsletter as I will be doing a few webinars on social media misinformation and how we are all part of the solution throughout the year.
The other thing you can do is “Think Before You Share.” Are you being gaslight by a post? Realize what emotions you are feeling as you look at content? Often posts that leave you feeling triggered, especially about politics, human rights, the police have been designed to cause unrest and when we share it, we help to add to the unrest. Also, ask has it crossed platforms? A tweet on Facebook or a Reddit thread posted on another platform should be a mental note to take a pause and think about what you have just mentally ingested.
A simple step back, or even checking the date or source of a post can help your emotional state and stop the spread of something harmful to our community. Reading the article will sometimes show you that the headline was more clickbait and the article will tell a completely different story.
Finally, Keep reading Black Girl in the CLE. We will have more stories informing you about misinformation examples and what’s been circulating in our community. There will also be online webinars you can sign up for
A text I received last week offering 1st hand knowledge of a national directive and urging me to forward to more people.
One final thing about misinformation
Misinformation can come in many forms. In recent weeks, while I began to identify Facebook and Twitter posts that spread misinformation, I noticed that I was often reacting and sharing text messages or DMs from close friends and families about the so-called news that was coming or going to be announced in the next few days.
So while we practice social distancing, let’s also remember to Think (or at least pause) before you share.