Guide: Countering Disinformation and Online Voter Suppression

Propaganda. Lies. Racism. Sexism.

The 2016 election was influenced by disinformation and online voter suppression efforts from foreign and domestic bad actors. This time, we’ll take this seriously, fight back and protect ourselves against it in 2020.

(Special thanks to Shireen Mitchell @digitalsista, Indivisible Plus Washington, Washington Indivisible Network, Indivisible New Rochelle and Indivisible Westchester.)

In this guide, you will find:

  1. Top tips
  2. Resources to learn more
  3. Reporting disinformation
  4. Join the Indivisible Truth Brigade

Top Tips

  1. Think before you share, and don’t contribute to the spread of disinformation by engaging with/commenting on posts or sharing problematic posts, articles or hashtags.
  2. Instead, do this:
    • Amplify positive messages
    • Discredit the messenger
    • Address the concern and pivot
    • Center the people affected, use their words for addressing the issue (and credit them for it)
    • Know when to disengage

 Great summary of tips from Shireen Mitchell, here.

Resources

  • Informative resources from Shireen Mitchell (@digitalista), digital data analyst and disinformation fighter in diversity, tech, media and politics, including a recording of her Aug 30, 2020 presentation
  • Useful info from Indivisible New Rochelle / Indivisible Westchester
    • Videos from their training and an extensive resource list
    • Blog of examples to help you recognize and investigate disinformation
  • Fact-checking websites:
    • Lead Stories: hoaxes, red/blue political disinformation, Coronavirus disinformation
    • Know Your Meme: Don’t click on a hashtag you don’t understand (it helps it go viral). Use this resource instead
    • News Toolkit: Resources to verify a person, article, or photo. Lots more in the “advanced toolkit”

Local Resources

Reporting disinformation and digital voter suppression

  • Attorney General Bob Ferguson, contact here
  • Add your story to Shireen Mitchell’s digital voter suppression data base, here

Be part of the Indivisible Truth Brigade – now until the election

  • This is a group of folks active on social media from across the nation, working together to fight disinformation, sign up here