On January 6th, a mob invaded the United States Capitol and spilled blood in the name of a massive lie. Over the last several years, we have seen the meteoric rise of misinformation in the political ecosystem. While it has been with us for some time, it has taken a little longer for us to fully realize how real world events can be shaped by misinformation. For years, scholars watched how misinformation had the capacity to alter the real world. In Russia, misinformation became an essential tool for carrying out the desires of Vladimir Putin. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and then flatly denied that they had done what they did. Misinformation in the Donbas region helped to stir up an all out war, and the toll of fake news was in full force.
In the United States, we have watched as fake news has grown in our country and studied the effects it may be having on the real world. But we have clearly failed to anticipate how quickly a fake news conspiracy can materialize, spread, and present a clear danger. In the days and weeks following Donald Trump's defeat in November, massive conspiracy networks grew on social media, chiefly Facebook. "Stop the Steal" groups grew to thousands and thousands of members, and the lie that the election was stolen was firmly rooted in an ecosystem already predisposed to rampant misinformation. But instead of the typical consequences of weakened political discourse and a distraction away from important issues, the fake news conspiracy this time presented a physical danger. Thousands who had been fed malicious lies descended upon the Capitol, stormed its perimeter, and killed in its halls. They went because they believed in something that was not true, but that had the backing of the President and an entire information network built on spreading quickly whatever is politically expedient, regardless of fact.
There will be much written about the events of January 6th, but unless we recognize the potent danger that fake news presents to the survival of democracy, we will have failed to learn the right lessons and we will see similar events in the future.
I agree, the discussion surrounding objective truth in information is very important, I would argue the defining challenge of our generation. Although the technology involved turns this into a super-weapon, the idea of fake news isn't new. It reminds me of the "yellow journalism" of the 20's and 30's, which led to the objective style of reporting that we saw in the 60's, so I'm hopeful something good will come of this. Also, I think that events like this caused the government and big tech companies to notice, really notice, the dangers we all face.
ReplyDeleteAdyson,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, what occurred in our Nation’s Capital on January 6, was a despicable act, and a stain on our Democratic form of government. Since the Constitution was ratified defining the laws we live by that make our country great and the envy of all other countries in the world, we have had a peaceful transition of leadership. Some stressful, although never has our Capitol been attacked by our own citizens while being prodded by the President of the United States. Mr. Trump should face criminal charges for the deaths that occurred that day, he definitely was an accessory not only to the deaths but also the attack on the Capitol. Regardless of one’s political leaning, shame on those that try to defend what happened and shame on those Senators that voted for acquittal of the Impeachment charges.
What I’m going to say next is in no way an excuse for what happened, so please don’t condemn me. Look back at the summer of 2020, Seattle, Washington, Portland Oregon, the chaos and contiguous rioting and destruction. In Seattle the Mayor allowed a group of rioters to take over six city blocks including a Police precinct and called it the “summer of Love.” The rioting went on every night for months. Think of the innocent people that lost everything and had to stand back and watch as their business were looted and burned to the ground. Where was the outrage, where was the National Media to condemn the mayhem, where were city and state officials attempting to stop the lawlessness? After a few days the national media looked the other way, when Federal troops were sent quell the violence, the media and city and state officials blamed the Federal troops for the violence. After many months and the violence subsided, how many of the rioters were convicted of any related crime? Killings in those communities increased exponentially because police knew if they intervened they could be branded racist and lose everything. A side note, this is why the murder rate across the country in 2020 set new records.
Why am I giving you a history lesson? This set the stage for criminal acts that transpired on January 6, 2021 in our Nation’s Capital. The nut jobs that attacked the Nation’s Capital saw the nut jobs that pillaged and plundered major cities in our country treated more like hero’s than criminals, therefore, as my mother would say “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Justice may be blind but it has to apply equally to everyone, regardless of ideology.
One other thing to consider, media outlets and ambitious politicians’ profit from chaos, therefore, this will continue and the polarization of our country will not only continue but get worse.
Herb Porath
Hello! This was a great post. I definitely see the role that media played in the capital riots. The question I have is, do we think that leaders should have a moral obligation to step in when media has such detrimental effects. I feel like the things we saw happen in countries that the United States tends to look down on. The events definitely set a precedent for what is acceptable in this nation, especially given that it took our president so long to speak out against it. So should the Biden Presidency make a point to condemn the spread of false and malicious lies and where is the balance between that and our freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteThis was a post that really got me thinking. Great job! I completely agree with your final statement: "unless we recognize the potent danger that fake news presents to the survival of democracy, we will have failed to learn the right lessons and we will see similar events in the future." The phrase "history repeats itself" comes to mind. When thinking about the further implications that the lack of accountability for the Capitol riots, I often question exactly how bad or how violent something has to be in order to be condemned across party lines. I think back to Clay Shirky's "The Political Power of Social Media" previously discussed in class, and wonder if the arguments made for the powerful and positive role social media plays in politics, can also hold implications to darker, more negative consequences. Many of the conspiracies that fueled the riots were discussed on social media, in Facebook groups, and on Apps like QMAP and Q Alerts. It makes me wonder about the future of social media and politics. However, one aspect is very clear: If we do not take things seriously as a country and hold the correct people accountable, history is bound to repeat itself.
ReplyDeleteThis event is definitely one we will continue to look back upon. I'm curious to see what policies and precedents arise from it and how it impacts our future and our politicians's future use of social media platforms. Though it was entirely wrong I find it quite odd how Trump has been singled out for this act of violence and yet no Democrats are (in the same serious manner) being held responsible for the events that took place across our country during the BLM riots. Ayanna Pressley a current congresswoman stated "Don't let up, send emails, make phone calls... the reality is that there will be unrest in the streets for as long as there is unrest in our lives". There are many other instances of politicians supporting and advocating for what was happening and refraining for a long time from condemning the violent riots. Yet the media acts as if Trump was then only one to provoke? I hope we can hold both sides accountable and not make this a partisan issue in the future.
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