Thesis Defense: Erik Person

Title: Truth in a Sea of Lies: Misinformation Disinformation in the United States in the Post-Truth Era

Program: Political Science MA

Committee Chair: Ross Burkhart

Committee: Ross Burkhart, Michael Allen, Isaac Castellano

Abstract: The new information era in which the United States is immersed in is characterized by large amounts of low-quality, often inaccurate information. Without the proper skills, such as checking sources, an individual can easily become confused about a complex world that does not make sense because they consume and believe misinformation and/or disinformation. Misinformation and disinformation undermine the foundations of democracy by spreading untrue information, which can lead voters to make choices that are not in their best interests. Social media exacerbates the consequences of misinformation and disinformation by enabling the rapid spread of information, emotional narratives, and echo chambers, increasing polarization and leaving voters disgruntled after making decisions that were not in their best interests. I provide evidence from analyzing the 2020 American National Election Study that a divide appears between the political left and the political right, with the latter consuming more misinformation and disinformation and believing it. Because of the United States’ strict free-speech laws, legislative solutions are limited, and free market principles can produce unpopular outcomes. Professionalizing journalism may provide islands of trustworthy news, but it does little to correct the large amounts of low-quality, inaccurate information that still flood the internet.