AND NO IMPACT ON THE NOVEMBER 8
ELECTION.
>> Frederica: IN THE FINAL
RUN-UP TO THE NOVEMBER 8
ELECTION, PRESIDENT JILL BIDEN
TOOK IN THE AIRWAVES TO DECRY
THE POLITICAL VIOLENCE SAYING
THE 2020 ELECTION WAS STOLEN
FUELED THE CAPITAL INSURRECTION
AND THE RECENT ATTACK ON NANCY
PELOSI'S HUSBAND.
>> IT'S A LIE THAT FUELED THE
RISE IN VIOLENCE AND VOTER
INTIMIDATION IN THE PAST TWO
YEARS.
>> Frederica: IS THERE A DIRECT
LINE FROM DISINFORMATION TO
VOTER INTIMIDATION AND POLITICAL
VIOLENCE WE MISINFORMATION WITH
EXPERT ON POLITICAL
COMMUNICATION MIKE WAGNER ALSO
ENGAGED IN RESEARCH ON THE
TOPIC.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Frederica: IS IT A QUESTION
DISINFORMATION FUELS VIOLENCE
AND VOTER INTIMIDATION?
>> IT'S A QUESTION AND IT SEEMS
TO.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SEE MISS
AND DISINFORMATION ON THEIR
SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS AND MORE
EXTREME CORNERS OF THE INTERNET
AND IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO MEET
UP TOGETHER AN THERE ARE DIRECT
LINES WE CAN DRAW BETWEEN THE
MISINFORMATION ONLINE AND
PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR THAT CAN TURN
VIOLENT.
>> Frederica: THIS IS AN OLD
QUESTION BUT WHAT DOES WHAT THE
PRESIDENT CALLS THE BIG LIE
PERSIST EVEN IN THE FACE OF SO
MUCH FACT CHECKING AND EVIDENCE
TO THE CONTRARY?
>> PART IS SO MANY PEOPLE ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE AISLE WHO
ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS CONTINUE
TO FUEL IT.
MUCH OF THE OPINIONS THAT
AMERICANS DEVELOP IS DRIVEN IN
PART BY WHAT OUR OFFICIALS SAY
AND HELP SHAPE OUR ATTITUDE.
MOST LOOK TO THE LEADER OF THE
PARTY WE PREFER TO HELP US MAKE
SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND IF
LEADERS ARE SAYING THE ELECTION
WAS STOLEN IT BECOMES HARD TO
TRUST THE FACT CHECK AND COUPLE
THAT WITH THE TALK RADIO AND FAR
RIGHT ECOLOGY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
SAYING YOU CAN'T TRUST THE NEWS
MEDIA YOU HAVE A TOXIC MIX OF
DISTRUST.
>> Frederica: HOW MUCH
MISINFORMATION OR DISINFORMATION
IS FLYING AROUND RIGHT NOW?
>> THERE'S A LOT.
THE TRUTH SENDS TO BE MORE
MUNDANE AND DISINFORMATION MORE
EMOTIONAL AND WE RECOGNIZE IT
AND LIKELY TO GET SHARED SO IT
SPREADS FASTER THAN THE TRUTH
WHY WE CAN'T CATCH UP.
>> Frederica: SO YOU'RE LOOKING
AT THIS ALL THE TIME.
WHAT'S ONE OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS
EXAMPLES YOU'VE SEEN.
>> THAT THERE ARE ELECTED
OFFICIALS RUNNING SECRET RINGS
THAT ABUSE CHILDREN AND OTHERS
RELATED TO VACCINATES.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT REDUCES THE
LIKELIHOOD AND VACCINATION DOWN
SO THE SPILLOVER IS HUGE AND HOW
IT AFFECTS OTHER ISSUES.
>> Frederica: WHERE'S IT MOST
HEAVILY TRAFFICKED?
SOCIAL MEDIA, TWITTER, FACEBOOK
IS A PLACE.
OTHER MORE EXTREME, PARLOR,
OTHER PLACES WHERE IT PURVEYS
QUITE A BIT.
THERE'S A NETWORK OF PEOPLE
WILLING TO SHARE IT.
IT'S PROFITABLE TO DO IT.
>> Frederica: WHY DO PEOPLE
EMBRACE IT?
>> SOME DO IT BECAUSE IT FEELS
GOOD TO SEE THE OTHER SIDE
HAVING TO HEAR THE NEGATIVE
THINGS ABOUT THEM AND OTHERS DO
IT BECAUSE IT'S PROFITABLE OR IT
MIGHT HELP THEIR PARTICULAR SIDE
GAIN POWER.
OTHERS PREFER CHAOS AND THERE'S
A SMALL SUBSET OF PEOPLE WHO
ENJOY WATCHING THE WORLD BURN
AND MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE
THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE TO STIR
THINGS UP.
>> Frederica: FORMER PRESIDENT
OBAMA ASKED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
TRUTH DOESN'T MATTER ANY MORE?
>> WE LOSE A SHARED OPPORTUNITY
TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IF WE CAN'T
AGREE ON TRUTH HOW CAN WE AGREE
ON POTENTIAL WAYS TO SOLVE THE
PROBLEMS?
OUR ABILITY TO GOVERNOR
OURSELVES IS DEEPLY AFFECTED
WHETHER THERE'S COLLECTIVE
UNDERSTANDINGS OF WHAT'S
VERIFIABLY TRUE.
>> Frederica: IS THAT WHERE WE
ARE NOW?
>> I THINK IT'S A LITTLE STRONG
BUT BARELY.
I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS STUDYING
THESE ISSUES ARE WORRIED PEOPLE
MAY SHUT OFF TO UNDERSTANDING
THE INFORMATION THAT'S BAD FOR
THEIR SIDE SHOULD BE REJECTED
AND PEOPLE NEED TO ACCEPT WHEN
THEY LOSE AND I'M A VIKINGS FAN,
WE'VE NEVER WON A SUPER BOWL AND
I WOULD BE LAUGHED OUT OF A ROOM
IF I SAID WE HAD AND PEOPLE ARE
MAKING THE SAME BIZARRE CLAIMS
ON REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES LIKE
WHO WON AN ELECTION OR DOES THE
VACCINE CAUSE A PROBLEM.
>> Frederica: SO PERSISTENT
DISINFORMATION LIKE THIS STOLEN
ELECTION MAY WHIP SOME PEOPLE
INTO COMMITTING POLITICAL
VIOLENCE BUT WHAT EFFECT DOES
THIS HAVE ON THE LONG SIMMER ON
FOLKS WHO CRASH THE CAPITAL OR
HURT ANYBODY?
>> ONE THING IT DOES IS REDUCES
MANY PEOPLE'S BELIEF THAT WE CAN
SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.
IT LOWERS OUR ABILITY TO WANT TO
COMPROMISE WITH THE OTHER SIDE.
IF THE OTHER SIDE IS DANGEROUS
AND EVIL WHY WOULD WE WANT TO
COMPROMISE.
THERE'S LONG-TERM PROBLEMS IN
TERMS OF GENERALIZED PROBLEM
SOLVING AND THE LACK OF TRUST IN
PEOPLE WHO CAN TELL US
VERIFIABLY TRUE INFORMATION AND
THERE'S TIMES WHEN WE NEED TO
KNOW WHAT'S TRUE AND COULD BE
LIFE AND DEATH AND IF WE CANNOT
TRUST JOURNALISTS WHO FACE
CONSEQUENCES WHEN THEY SAY
THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE, IF WE
DON'T TRUST THEM WE'RE IN REAL
TROUBLE.
>> Frederica: WHAT'S GOING TO
BREAK THIS CYCLE?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I WISH I KNEW THE ANSWER.
I THINK ONE THING THAT CAN HELP
IS LISTENING.
I THINK WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO
PERSUADE PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW
BELIEVE THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE
WE SHOULD AIM FOR THE HEART AND
NOT HEAD.
HERE'S THINGS WE NEED TO BUILD
TRUST THAT GO BEYOND I'M RIGHT
AND YOU'RE WRONG AND YOU HAVE TO
ACCEPT IT.
>> Frederica: HOW MIGHT ALL THIS
MISINFORMATION AFFECT THIS
ELECTION?
>> I THINK WE MAY SEE ONE SIDE
OR NOT WILLING TO CONCEDE THEY
LOST AND MAY LEAD TO MORE
BEHAVIORS LIKE JANUARY 6 AT THE
U.S. CAPITAL AND THERE'S
GOVERNOR AND SENATE RACES THAT
MAY RAISE THE IRE OF PEOPLE AND
THERE ARE THINGS TO BE WATCHING
AS WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE
COUNTING OF THE VOTES AFTER
ELECTION DAY.
>> Frederica: MIKE WAGNER,
THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Frederica: YOU CAN FIND
INFORMATION ABOUT CANDIDATES AND
VOTING AS WELL AS REAL-TIME
ELECTION RESULTS BY VISITING