Elections, media and trust
With 2024 being a year of elections, there’s one key factor that we’d like to focus on in particular — media trust. With 2 billion people are expected to participate in democratic processes globally in 2024, the role of trustworthy media in supporting informed civic engagement has never been more critical. However, there is troubling data that shows us faith in the media is very low. Pair this with the development of AI, and dangers become very clear.
The US is at the leading edge of this, but is hardly an outlier.
This concerning trend of declining trust in media is global. The World Economic Forum points out that trust in news media is low and decreasing due to polarization, suggesting a need for multi-stakeholder action to combat disinformation and boost media literacy. Of particular significance are young people.
The audience share starting its news journey on actual news websites is declining, with just over a fifth consuming news that way. Young people (Gen Z), in particular, show a "weaker connection with news brands’ websites and apps – instead coming to news via search, social media or aggregators."
Users of social networks like TikTok and Instagram pay more attention to celebrities and influencers than journalists. In contrast, news media and journalists are "still central to the conversation" on Facebook and Twitter.
We caution over simplifying this, as late-2021 data tells us that young people don’t necessarily trust what they consume on social media.
Although young people rely on social media and online sites to keep them informed about current events, of all the institutions they are asked about, young people are the least likely to trust social media platforms a lot to provide them with accurate information.
The lack of trust across the board is where we see significant dangers come electoral season.
This scepticism can drive the electorate towards alternative, often unvetted, information sources, which can be easily manipulated by sophisticated AI technologies.
Deepfakes, algorithm-driven misinformation campaigns, and AI-powered social media bots can significantly distort the public's understanding and perception of candidates and key electoral issues. These AI-driven manipulations can polarize communities, foster misinformation, and ultimately undermine the integrity and legitimacy of elections.
Declining media trust will make it challenging to combat AI-driven electoral manipulation, as corrective measures and fact-checking initiatives launched by media entities may not be perceived as credible by a sceptical public.
This is a perfect storm of a flood of information sources, low trust, and an increasing ability to produce manipulated content.