Democracy and Misinformation

A large segment of citizens live in a misinformation bubble

Is it a problem for democracy that many people believe the economy is lousy when in fact it is performing quite well?  The recent period of inflation naturally makes people anxious, but polls also show that people believe we are in recession, that unemployment is high, and crime is skyrocketing.  None of that is true!

Photo by Elimende Inagella on Unsplash

So why are so many people so misinformed, and what does it mean for our democracy?

People are misinformed because some news outlets lie. While they may not tell out-and-out falsehoods, they do omit important information and distort context. For example, a network recently highlighted an increase in murder rates in Washington, DC, ignoring the fact that murder rates are down significantly in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. The story was factually true, and yet in a larger sense it caused many people to draw inaccurate conclusions.

This is dangerous for democracy. Democracies require well-informed voters, and today a large segment of citizens live in a misinformation bubble. Shouldn’t we all know that crime is down, that we are not in recession, and that unemployment is at record lows? It might make a difference. It would for me.


Post submitted by By Frank Schneider, a volunteer with The Union

Note: The views and opinions expressed by volunteer contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Union, a single-issue organization that welcomes all and is dedicated to protecting democracy.

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