How the Right Won the Internet and How the Left is Fighting Back
2Digest
Sasha Eisenberg, author of "The Lie Detectives," joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of disinformation in politics. He contrasts his previous book, "The Victory Lab," which focused on the positive potential of technology in campaigns, with the current landscape where disinformation has become a major threat. Eisenberg argues that the internet's shift from a tool for offline organizing to a platform for building online communities with their own agendas has created an asymmetry in political communication. He explains how the right and left view disinformation differently, with the right often dismissing it as a tool for censorship, while the left struggles to counter it effectively. Eisenberg details the Biden campaign's 2020 strategy of focusing on "market-moving information" and addressing the underlying anxieties of voters rather than chasing every trending narrative. He also discusses the challenges of navigating a decentralized information environment where campaigns can no longer control the flow of information and the need for a more nuanced approach to counter-disinformation tactics. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the role of social media platforms and the potential for a shift in their posture towards content moderation.
Outlines
The MAGA World's Strong Ties
This Chapter discusses the strong ties among supporters of the MAGA movement, which Eisenberg attributes to the movement's empowering nature. He contrasts this with the weaker ties among supporters of Democratic campaigns, which he argues are a result of the campaigns' focus on using technology to organize people offline rather than building strong online communities.
The Evolution of Disinformation
This Chapter explores the evolution of disinformation in politics, with Eisenberg arguing that technology has shifted from a mostly positive force to a mostly harmful one. He attributes this shift to the willingness of political actors to use tools for ill and the emergence of online communities with agendas beyond winning elections. Eisenberg discusses the challenges of responding to disinformation when the source and motives are unclear, and the difficulty of countering narratives that are not driven by electoral goals.
The Right's Disdain for Disinformation
This Chapter examines the stark difference in how the right and left view disinformation. Eisenberg explains that the right often dismisses disinformation as a concept invented by academics to censor conservative speech, while the left struggles to counter it effectively. He cites Donald Trump's early 2024 campaign pledge to dismantle counter-disinformation efforts as evidence of this ideological divide.
Fact-Checking's Limitations
This Chapter explores the limitations of fact-checking as a strategy for combating disinformation. Eisenberg argues that fact-checking can sometimes backfire, reinforcing suspicions among those who are already inclined to believe the misinformation. He also highlights the challenges of engaging with disinformation online, as it can inadvertently amplify its reach and distract from more important messages.
The Biden Campaign's 2020 Strategy
This Chapter delves into the Biden campaign's 2020 strategy for dealing with disinformation. Eisenberg explains how the campaign focused on identifying "market-moving information" that could actually affect voters' decisions. They used research and focus groups to determine which narratives had both reach and impact, and prioritized countering those. Eisenberg highlights the campaign's shift from a "supply-side" approach, which focused on the source and spread of disinformation, to a "demand-side" approach, which addressed the underlying anxieties of voters.
The Challenges of Targeting Political Advertising
This Chapter discusses the challenges of targeting political advertising in a decentralized information environment. Eisenberg notes that the rise of social media platforms and the decline of traditional media have made it more difficult to reach voters with targeted messages. He highlights the Biden campaign's efforts to recruit influencers and engage with voters on platforms like Fox News and Brightbart, even though they may be seen as morally controversial.
The Destabilizing Impact of Disinformation
This Chapter explores the broader implications of disinformation for democracies. Eisenberg argues that disinformation is incredibly destabilizing, not just in the United States but around the world. He discusses the challenges of tracking and countering disinformation on platforms like TikTok, where the algorithm is opaque and content is often ephemeral.
Signs of Hope and the Role of Platforms
This Chapter concludes with a discussion of potential signs of hope in the fight against disinformation. Eisenberg suggests that the posture of social media platforms towards content moderation may be cyclical, and that they could potentially shift back to a more active role in policing disinformation. He also highlights the importance of pro-democracy forces building strong online communities that are bound by a sense of joy and belonging, similar to those found on the right.
Keywords
Disinformation
The deliberate spread of false or misleading information, often with the intent to deceive or manipulate. In the context of politics, disinformation can be used to undermine trust in institutions, influence public opinion, or sway elections.
The Lie Detectives
A book by Sasha Eisenberg that explores the evolution of disinformation in politics, focusing on the challenges of countering it in a decentralized information environment. The book examines the different ways the right and left view disinformation, and highlights the Biden campaign's 2020 strategy for dealing with it.
The Victory Lab
A previous book by Sasha Eisenberg that focused on the positive potential of technology in political campaigns, particularly in terms of voter targeting and digital fundraising. The book was written before the rise of disinformation as a major political issue.
MAGA
An acronym for "Make America Great Again," a slogan used by Donald Trump during his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. The term has come to represent a broader movement of right-wing populism and nationalism.
Cambridge Analytica
A data analytics firm that was involved in the 2016 US presidential election. The company was accused of harvesting data from millions of Facebook users without their consent and using it to target voters with personalized political ads. The scandal led to increased scrutiny of the role of social media in politics and the potential for data misuse.
TikTok
A social media platform that has become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among younger users. The platform's algorithm is opaque and its content is often ephemeral, making it difficult to track and counter disinformation.
QAnon
A far-right conspiracy theory that claims that a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles is running a global child sex-trafficking ring and that Donald Trump is fighting against them. QAnon has gained a significant following online and has been linked to real-world violence.
Sleeping Giants
A group of activists who have been effective in driving boycotts of right-wing media outlets like Breitbart by targeting their advertisers. The group has been criticized for its tactics, but it has also been credited with raising awareness of the role of advertising in supporting harmful content.
Rob Flerty
The digital director of the Biden campaign in 2020, who played a key role in developing the campaign's strategy for dealing with disinformation. Flerty is now the Biden campaign's deputy campaign manager.
Bully Pulpit Interactive
A Democratic digital firm that worked with the Biden campaign in 2020 to test the impact of viral narratives circulating online. The firm's research helped the campaign prioritize countering narratives that had both reach and impact.
Q&A
How has the internet's role in politics changed since the Obama campaign in 2008?
The internet has shifted from a tool for offline organizing to a platform for building online communities with their own agendas. This has created an asymmetry in political communication, as campaigns can no longer control the flow of information or easily predict the motives behind online narratives.
Why do the right and left view disinformation differently?
The right often dismisses disinformation as a concept invented by academics to censor conservative speech, while the left struggles to counter it effectively. This ideological divide is evident in Donald Trump's early 2024 campaign pledge to dismantle counter-disinformation efforts.
What was the Biden campaign's strategy for dealing with disinformation in 2020?
The Biden campaign focused on identifying "market-moving information" that could actually affect voters' decisions. They used research and focus groups to determine which narratives had both reach and impact, and prioritized countering those. The campaign also shifted from a "supply-side" approach, which focused on the source and spread of disinformation, to a "demand-side" approach, which addressed the underlying anxieties of voters.
What are the challenges of navigating a decentralized information environment?
Campaigns can no longer control the flow of information or easily predict the motives behind online narratives. This requires a more nuanced approach to counter-disinformation tactics, as well as a willingness to relinquish some control to supporters and engage with voters on platforms that may be seen as morally controversial.
What role do social media platforms play in the spread of disinformation?
Social media platforms have become a major vector for the spread of disinformation. The platforms' algorithms and content moderation policies can amplify misinformation, and their willingness to police disinformation can vary depending on political pressures and business interests.
What are some potential signs of hope in the fight against disinformation?
The posture of social media platforms towards content moderation may be cyclical, and they could potentially shift back to a more active role in policing disinformation. Additionally, pro-democracy forces need to find a way to build strong online communities that are bound by a sense of joy and belonging, similar to those found on the right.
What are some of the key takeaways from Sasha Eisenberg's book "The Lie Detectives"?
The book explores the evolution of disinformation in politics, highlighting the challenges of countering it in a decentralized information environment. It examines the different ways the right and left view disinformation, and details the Biden campaign's 2020 strategy for dealing with it. The book also emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying anxieties of voters and addressing them directly.
How can campaigns effectively counter disinformation in a decentralized information environment?
Campaigns need to adopt a more nuanced approach to counter-disinformation tactics, focusing on addressing the underlying anxieties of voters rather than chasing every trending narrative. They also need to be willing to relinquish some control to supporters and engage with voters on platforms that may be seen as morally controversial.
What are the implications of disinformation for democracies?
Disinformation is incredibly destabilizing, undermining trust in institutions, influencing public opinion, and potentially swaying elections. It poses a significant challenge to democratic processes and requires a concerted effort to counter it.
Show Notes
Why are Republicans apologists for misinformation? How should campaigns respond to online trolls? Are Democrats still using an Obama-era digital strategy? Journalist Sasha Issenberg joins Offline to talk about his new book, The Lie Detectives, and to break down how to defeat conservatives in a truth-agnostic world. He and Jon discuss how today’s political class is adapting to a tumultuous and Trumpy social media landscape, and why controlling today’s narrative is more elusive than ever before.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
Table of contents
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