False reports in the election campaign: This is how fake news endanger our democracy!

False reports in the election campaign: This is how fake news endanger our democracy!

In the run -up to the upcoming elections, both in Austria and internationally, the concerns about the spread of false information have increased. According to reports from orf.at , the spread of fake news before elections is particularly problematic because they potentially impair the election behavior and endanger the democratic processes. Fake news, often emotionally charged and linked to topics such as migration or climate policy, spread rapidly through social media and in particular reach those voters that make emotionally reactive decisions. An example of such disinformation was the recent spread of a manipulated image of a Tesla car with a swastika that was incorrectly associated with current political events.

2023 has also shown that crises such as migration and natural disasters offer particularly fertile soil for false reports based on emotions such as anger and fear. Correctiv.org this year was carried out over 450 factual checks. The spread of artificially created images, such as the supposed arrests of Donald Trump, has further undermined trust in digital media. Experts emphasize the need for critical media literacy in order to effectively counter the challenges of disinformation.

Enlightenment and media literacy as a key

In this heated political atmosphere, it is crucial that voters critically question their sources of information and take into account the contextualization of information. The AFP fact check criticizes that younger voters and older people in particular often share content without adequately checking their truthfulness. The upcoming elections could be strongly influenced by targeted false reports, which could undermine democratic decision -making. It is all the more important that citizens train and sensitize to counteract the manipulative influences of social media and disinformation.