Political Rumors: Why We Accept Misinformation and How to Fight It

by Adam J. Berinsky

Why debunked political rumors persist and how to combat them

Political rumors and misinformation pollute the political landscape. This is not a recent phenomenon; before the currently rampant and unfounded rumors about a stolen election and vote-rigging, there were other rumors that continued to spread even after they were thoroughly debunked, including doubts about 9/11 (an "inside job") and the furor over President Obama's birthplace and birth certificate. If misinformation crowds out the truth, how can Americans communicate with one another about important issues? In this book, Adam Berinsky examines why political rumors exist and persist despite their unsubstantiated and refuted claims, who is most likely to believe them, and how to combat them.

Drawing on original survey and experimental data, Berinsky shows that a tendency toward conspiratorial thinking and vehement partisan attachment fuel belief in rumors. Yet the reach of rumors is wide, and Berinsky argues that in fighting misinformation, it is as important to target the undecided and the uncertain as it is the true believers. We're all vulnerable to misinformation, and public skepticism about the veracity of political facts is damaging to democracy. Moreover, in a world where most people simply don't pay attention to politics, political leaders are often guilty of disseminating false information--and failing to correct it when it is proven wrong. Berinsky suggests that we should focus on the messenger as much as the message of rumors. Just as important as how misinformation is debunked is who does the debunking.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Political Science

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2023

Reviews

[Enko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting one...although formatted rather like a report than an actual book.
I haven't read enough books/ I don't know enough information in this field of study to write an actual review, but I'll say this one is very interesting (oh where did my vocabulary go when I need it). I wouldn't mind if it's longer and cover more conspiracy theories than just the well known ones. From the title, I expected something on how we receive misinformation from the government, particularly regarding politics, and strategies to combat such propaganda. However, the content primarily addresses how misinformation is generated about those in power and offers insights into countering these ideas.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a decent book. I gained new insights about the seemingly insurmountable challenge of misinformation and the threat it poses to our democracy. It was interesting to examine the author’s experiments and investigations, but that’s about all this book was: a series of summaries about the author’s research. It read more as a more narrowly focused academic portfolio than a holistic and broad discussion about misinformation and what other researchers have found.

[Tina Panik]

Reviewed for Library Journal

[Syu Martirosyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[A YOGAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warum halten sich politische Falschinformationen so hartnäckig? Berinsky zeigt: Nicht Faktenmangel, sondern Identität und Misstrauen treiben den Glauben an Gerüchte. Besonders pointiert ist seine These, dass die Glaubwürdigkeit des „Entlarvers“ entscheidend ist. Das Buch liefert keine einfachen Lösungen, aber praktikable Einsichten für eine zersplitterte Öffentlichkeit.
Berinsky zerstört die naive Illusion, man könne politische Lügen einfach mit nackten Fakten aus der Welt schaffen. Er macht schmerzhaft deutlich, dass wir Gerüchte nicht mit dem Kopf, sondern mit dem Herzen glauben – und liefert damit den perfekten Werkzeugkasten, um den Irrsinn unserer heutigen Debattenkultur zu verstehen.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not more political rumors now than is past. Rumor is unsubstantiated claim spread socially.
However spread of rumors has sifted and regards of intentional or involuntary exposure can cause much havoc. 4 groups = creators, believers, disbelievers and uncertain.
Limit reach of rumors, cut off connections between extremist and regular sites, get citizens more informed, target uncertain folks, address misinformation and provide trueful corrections, encourage those in positions of influence and power to speak up honestly

Lots of data analysis with charts and descriptions
Overall, no easy answers or methods.