Election Day Best Practices

Bad actors and partisan operators have a strong incentive to manipulate information in the lead up to elections.  It is particularly important to remain hypervigilant and double check content, sources, tips and stories - particularly those which seem too good to be true!  Remember the importance of using your own sources on the ground to double check stories:  shoe leather reporting is still vital.

Here is some advice from practitioners about what to watch for during elections, as well as some useful election-specific tools. 

Key Challenges for Journalists and Newsrooms on Election Day

Elise Labott, Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow, Co-Founder Zivvy Media

Newsrooms and journalists face immense pressure to provide accurate, timely information, while balancing the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content like deepfakes, manipulated audio and video, and other forms of digital deception.

This raises important questions: How can journalists ensure their reports are accurate in the rush of election day? What are the best practices to combat disinformation while maintaining the public’s trust on one of the most important days in the democratic process? In the battle against AI generated misinformation, and sophisticated disinformation tactics, journalists are also up against:

• Pressure for Speed vs. Accuracy: On election day, the need for fast reporting often competes with the need for fact-checking and verification. Journalists must resist the temptation to prioritize being first over being correct.
• Maintaining Public Trust: In a polarized environment, trust in media is fragile. Any mistakes in reporting or sharing unchecked information can severely damage a newsroom's credibility.

Best Practices for Handling Election Day Disinformation:

Prioritize Fact-Checking and Verification:

• Build a team solely focused on fact-checking, with specific guidelines for election-related content.
• Use reliable sources for verification, including state election boards, official government websites, and trusted fact-checking organizations (e.g., FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, Snopes).
• Collaborate with nonpartisan watchdog groups to cross-check suspicious claims or reports.

Establish a Workflow for Verifying Social Media Reports:

• Create a specific workflow for election day, ensuring that all social media claims go through at least two layers of verification before being published.
• Flag and label uncertain information or incomplete reports to avoid confusion. When in doubt, avoid sharing until more facts are confirmed.

Monitor Election-Related Misinformation Trends:

• Keep an eye on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where disinformation is more likely to spread. Use monitoring tools like CrowdTangle or Hoaxy to track the spread of suspicious election-related content.
• Coordinate with trusted social media platforms to report disinformation and ask for takedowns of false or misleading content when necessary.

Communicate Transparently with Your Audience:

• Be open about uncertainties in reporting. If the newsroom is still waiting for verification, say so publicly, rather than rushing to judgment.
• Use explanatory journalism to help the audience understand how misinformation spreads and what you’re doing to prevent it.

Collaborate with Other Media Outlets:

• Consider partnerships with other news organizations to create a unified approach to combating disinformation on election day. Sharing resources and verified facts can reduce the overall spread of false claims.

Plan for Contingencies:

• Prepare a disinformation rapid response team for election day, ready to counter any false narratives or misinformation quickly and effectively.
• Have contingency plans for scenarios like false election result reports, claims of rigged voting systems, or deepfake videos of candidates. These plans should include strategies for debunking and sharing the correct information as soon as it’s available.

Social Media, Digital 

Inga Thordar, Former Executive Editor, CNN 

Beware of the spread of misinformation during breaking news on social media. In the middle of the mayhem that is breaking news scenarios, newsrooms are often keen to make sure they get all the relevant information out quickly and therefore share wire alerts, social media "eyewitness" accounts, interviews with witnesses or people nearby. Despite the best intentions and the motivation to share everything with audiences this can often be the biggest source of misinformation spread so  being honest about what information has not been verified or has become irrelevant is equally important. The best course of action of course is to verify accounts before they are published, but that is often unrealistic in a newsroom setting so figuring out a workflow that has misinformation flagging and course correcting built in is critical 

With the explosion of AI it is easier than ever before to fake images. We are no longer just dealing with deep fakes so for anything that comes from a third party, triple check. This means using any digital tools available like reverse imaging, people recognition softwares and old fashioned checking with sources IRL. Make sure you review metadata. Use metadata in a smart way on any sourcing; Try to verify all sources yourself or through trusted partners (like reputable agencies). Error Protocol: Issue any needed corrections quickly, transparently and don't hide it on your site or publication. It's important that if misinformation has seeped into reporting that it is recognised, explained and countered. It speaks to trust

Fact Checking Sites Useful as Election Coverage Tools 

Rest of World AI Mis/Disinfo Database

https://restofworld.org/2024/tracking-global-election-ai/ 

Rest of World is tracking AI-related election incidents globally, documenting both positive uses (like helping imprisoned candidates communicate) and concerning ones (such as spreading misinformation), to build a database of how AI is being deployed in political contexts. They monitor incidents across multiple languages and platforms and preserve the content for future study even if it gets removed from original platforms.

iPolitifact

https://www.politifact.com/ 

PolitiFact is a fact-checking organisation that evaluates political statements made by U.S. politicians, officials, and pundits, rating their accuracy on a "Truth-O-Meter" scale from "True" to "Pants on Fire." The Pulitzer Prize-winning project also tracks politicians' campaign promises and is funded by a combination of advertising revenue, grants, and reader donations.