Political misinformation refers to the sharing of false information without the intent of causing harm. Since information and technology have become critical in the lives of individuals nowadays, misinformation has a significant impact. People spend substantial amounts of time online chatting and engaging in various forms of communication. The world currently relies on the information circulated online for fact-finding and general information purposes. Therefore, any untrue information shared through the various media with an online presence can be interpreted differently and in ways that bring harm. Political misinformation greatly influences political and public opinions, contributes to polarization and even affects democracy.
Misinformation affects political and public opinions on important issues. Political knowledge is a key element of representative democracy, and it is dangerous when people hold incorrect information confidently. For example, misinformed people will have erroneous beliefs about the welfare policy (Jerit & Zhao, 2020). If a large number of the population shares the misinformation, these beliefs affect their collective opinion. A worrying scenario is where misinformed people base their political choices on incorrect information. During political times, individuals might provide misinformed ideas to researchers that may not reflect the true state of events on the ground. An example of falsehood that had greater implications was the post by Sara Palin that suggested that the Affordable Care Act would bring forth “death panels.” Even though the claim was later discredited, it had caused serious impacts and had been highlighted in over 700 mainstream news articles (Watts et al., 2021). The general political and public opinions reported through the media after research may not reflect the actual standing of the people (Schaffner & Luks 2018). The loyalties of the people might change if the correct information is availed.
Misinformation can also lead to polarization in a country. The Trump administration was driven by the conviction that the U.S. has not been treated as it should over the years on the global platform. The rhetoric was that the nation had experienced a decline in its international standing under former president Barack Obama. The majority of the people, however, thought that the nation was still strong on matters of global politics. The political agenda drafted by Trump to exercise its power and return to its true position almost led to a confrontation with Iran (Islami, 2021). The administration, in this case, was promoting its political agenda by insisting that the U.S. needed to capture its former prestige. With the continued support of the same information through various communications, people who held a different opinion found themselves supporting the government. However, the difference in opinions was still present.
Misinformation can affect the existence of democracies and lead to wars. Watts et al. (2021) argue that when falsehoods are promulgated through the mainstream media, they can cause serious consequences. A good example is the Iraq war in 2003, where many media stations were perpetuating the false claims that the Saddam Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction (Watts et al., 2021). This example shows the power of misinformation in fueling wars. In 2016, the presidential elections were marred with misinformation, and the mainstream media contributed to magnify its effects. Misinformation can lead to distrust in the public space and incitements that cause war. When the public is continuously misinformed for political reasons, sentiments of hate might develop that can incite the destabilization of democracies.
Misinformation has serious repercussions and the ability to affect the public and political opinions of the people. Also, it can lead to polarization in a country where the political rhetoric differs from the general public opinions. In worst scenarios, misinformation, when highly propagated through the mainstream media, has the power to cause wars. A good example, in this case, is the Iraq war, where the public was convinced that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The war led to serious devastations that could have been avoided with the right information.
References
Islami, M. (2021). Turning the Tide: The Imperatives for Rescuing the Iran Nuclear Deal. Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, Vol. 12, No. 1, 83-104. Retrieved April 09, 2022, from http://irfajournal.csr.ir/article_145356_2630fa336a40c634aacee11b8ecd4f8c.pdf
Jerit, J., & Zhao, Y. (2020). Political misinformation. Annual Review of Political Science, 23, 77-94. Retrieved April 09, 2022, from https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050718-032814
Schaffner, B. F., & Luks, S. (2018). Misinformation or expressive responding? What an inauguration crowd can tell us about the source of political misinformation in surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly, 82(1), 135-147. Retrieved April 09, 2022, from https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-abstract/82/1/135/4868126
Watts, D. J., Rothschild, D. M., & Mobius, M. (2021). Measuring the news and its impact on democracy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(15). Retrieved April 09, 2022, from https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1912443118
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