This piece originally appeared as part of NPR's live coverage of the 2024 election. For more election coverage from the NPR Network head to our live updates page.
As results come in tonight, take care when evaluating images, video and audio. They are easily manipulated or taken out of context.
Take this 2020 tweet alleging voter suppression, supposedly evidenced by a photo of a pile of mailboxes. It reads, "Photo taken in Wisconsin. This is happening right before our eyes. They are sabotaging USPS to sabotage vote by mail. This is massive voter suppression and part of their plan to steal the election."
UCLA law professor Richard L. Hasen investigated the claim in his 2022 book, Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics – And How To Cure It. As it turns out, while the photo is real, the allegation of voter suppression was not. The mailboxes were pictured outside of a business that had a contract to repair old mailboxes for the U.S. Postal Service, not scrap them.
In this day and age, "The old adage … 'seeing is believing' just doesn't really hold truth anymore," said Rachel Moran of the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public. When you come across a piece of media online, it's worth asking: "Is what I'm hearing or seeing AI generated? Or could it be real and edited in a deceptive fashion?"
Ultimately, "It's up to us to protect ourselves and our communities [from misinformation] by only sharing what's verified," said Hannah Covington, senior director of education content at the News Literacy Project.
For more tips on how to avoid spreading election misinformation, read the full article.
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