MISINFORMATION, SOCIAL MEDIA & THE CRISIS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

HI501-04 Senior Seminar: Media Studies & Popular Culture Graduation Dissertation | Fall 2020

1M150290 KWON, Soongyu

School of International Liberal Studies | Waseda University

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ABSTRACT The main objectives of this paper are as follows: (1) explain the concept of tribalism and describe

the relationship that it possesses with American society and politics, (2) discuss how present-day

developments in the world of contemporary media have been accelerating the phenomenon of

polarization within the United States, (3) present different case studies in which social media has

and still continues to have a significant impact on public discussion surrounding current events in

America and (4) propose a variety of solutions to the relevant stakeholders who should be held

accountable for the problematic status quo so as to help restore the key values of democracy upon

which the United States has been founded.

The paper will include a personal analysis of certain Netflix documentaries that have reference to

two of the recently contested events: Karim Amer and Jehane Nouhaim’s The Great Hack for the

2016 presidential election involving Hillary Rodham Clinton and Donald John Trump, and Jeff

Orlowski’s The Social Dilemma for the 2020 presidential election involving Joseph Robinette

Biden Jr. and Donald John Trump. Not only will it be of assistance to one’s comprehension

concerning the background information of what had happened during the entire course of the

election, but it will also give strength to the reasoning that social media plays an undeniably

important role in shaping the circumstances of the American public sphere.

There will also be segments on how the administration of Joe Biden — the newly elected President

of the United States — and the inner circle of Donald Trump, the outgoing former president, have

been responding to specific affairs that the United States of America has been grappling with: the

Black Lives Matter movement and the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. By comparison,

one can clearly see how the two figures have been demonstrating varying degrees of leadership in

times of crisis, and even reflect on whether or not it will ever be possible for Democrat and

Republican blocs to come together. It is highly expected that the paper will serve as an instrument

that will foster productive dialogue in order to bring about sociopolitical progress in America.

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Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION 3

1. THE PHENOMENON OF TRIBALISM 3 2. THE PRESENT STATE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY 5 3. MOTIVATIONS FOR RESEARCH 9

II. RECENT TRENDS IN MEDIA AND POLITICS 10

1. TRANSFORMATION OF THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE 10 2. EXPANSION OF THE PUBLIC SPHERE 12 3. GROWTH OF SOCIAL MEDIA 13 4. RISE OF POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT 14 5. PROLIFERATION OF FAKE NEWS 16

III. CASE STUDIES 17

1. 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: HILLARY CLINTON VS DONALD TRUMP 17 1.1. THE GREAT HACK (2016) 19 1.2. #QANON AND #PIZZAGATE 20 1.3. RUSSIA’S DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE HACK 21 2. 2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: JOE BIDEN VS DONALD TRUMP 22 2.1. THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (2020) 23 2.2. PARLER, MEWE, GAB ... 24 2.3. WASHINGTON D.C. PROTESTS AND THE U.S. CAPITOL RIOTS 26 3. BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT 28 3.1. TRUMP’S RESPONSE TO #BLACKLIVESMATTER 30 3.2. BIDEN’S RESPONSE TO #BLACKLIVESMATTER 32 4. CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC 34 4.1. TRUMP’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 35 4.2. BIDEN’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 36

IV. SOLUTIONS 37

1. FOR THE INDIVIDUAL 37 2. FOR THE COMPANY 38 3. FOR THE SOCIETY 40

V. CONCLUSION 42

VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY 44

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I. Introduction 1. The Phenomenon of Tribalism Throughout the course of history, humanity has been and is still locked in a perpetual state of

conflict, even though the past and present state of affairs at surface level seemingly suggests that

members of the international community are doing the very best of their efforts in order to uphold

critical ideas and values such as diversity, equality, and freedom. When one takes a closer look at

what is actually taking place, it is clearly apparent that tribalism continues to remain as a pervasive

phenomenon across the globe regardless of age, ethnic, gender, or racial boundaries. Now one

might wonder how a certain term with possibly primitive connotations (that might be associated

with an unknown group of natives hidden away in some distant corner of the world) holds relevant

to this day and age, but the answer to the question is not that complex. Even in the 21st century, a

wide variety of societies and countries are deeply immersed in tribalism, and one of the areas

where there is a striking feature of this trend is none other than politics. In addition, out of 195

sovereign states that currently exist, the country with the status quo in which tribalism is the most

apparent is the United States of America.

What exactly is tribalism? It refers to either “the state of being organized by, or advocating for,

tribes or tribal lifestyles” or “a way of thinking or behaving in which people are loyal to their social

group above all else. (Wikipedia, 2020)” What is important here is that even before opening up

discussion about tribalism in a much broader context, either social or political, one needs to note

that this phenomenon originally stems from a psychologically charged human behavior.

So why does tribalism occur in the United States? One valid answer will be rooted in the past of

the country. A quick series of lectures on American history is sufficient enough for anyone to

notice the fact that even one of the most culturally, economically, and militarily powerful countries

on the planet was once a colony under the aggressors of European imperialism until its hard-earned

independence. Furthermore, the history of the United States is partially plagued by the

dehumanizing, unethical notion of racism, which is based on the brutal black-and-white logic of

us and them. What is even more alarming is that it is quite often being used as a tool by the social

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and political leaders to pit the majority against the minority based on where one is originally from

as well as the color of one’s skin. What one needs to keep in mind is although it is not at all

impossible for groups to overcome the divide so as to foster productive dialogue for social and

political progress, there is still a firm tendency for people to continue to hold onto their beliefs and

values without opening up their eyes and ears to the other side.

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2. The Present State of American Democracy Every so often we come across conflicting remarks in regards to the status quo of the United States

of America. On one hand, there is the notion that the United States will continue to be the world’s

greatest superpower as it always has been for more than a century, owing to the fact that its strong

military, massive economy, and diverse culture entails a sphere of influence that far exceeds its

territorial boundaries. In fact, it would not be an overstatement to contend that it is virtually

impossible to find any country on earth that does not possess at least some elements of the

American cultural and social system. On the contrary — despite it being a recently surging trend

— there is also the point of view that America is now hardly living up to its positive images of

progress and prosperity. Ever since the turn of the century, the nation has been grappling with an

array of economic, political and social crises one after another. A slew of strained relationships

with countries that have been founded on either Socialist or Islamic beliefs. The seemingly

unclosable chasm between the affluent and the impoverished. An outstanding existence of hostility

among varied racial and gender groups.

For quite a while, the national identity of the United States has been synonymous with positive

connotations. “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your hurdled masses yearning to breathe free, /

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift

my lamp beside the golden door! (U.S. NPS, 2019)” So many have crossed the waters and skies

so as to fulfill their hopes of achieving the American Dream; that they too would be free to enjoy

the benefits of positive ideals that the new country is famous for. Basic rights. Human liberty.

Equal opportunity. In spite of that, what are the kinds of narratives that are recently being told on

the news and other credible sources? Here is the alarming truth; substantial numbers of nationals

from both in and outside of the United States are either dissatisfied with living in the country or

having second thoughts about maintaining their livelihoods since their hopes and dreams about the

American way of life are constantly getting crushed. However, it is conceivable that the most

pressing issue at hand is the escalation of polarization that is tearing apart the American populace.

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It would not be an exaggeration to say that anyone will easily be taken aback by how

straightforward it is to find an example of such a case. Without a doubt, the most representative

example would be the former United States administration that was spearheaded by Donald John

Trump. In fact, while the 45th president took hold of Washington D.C., the contents of the stories

that came from worldwide news outlets were undeniably controversial. Take into account the

fearmongering rhetoric of the Trump administration in regards to important issues including

immigration, the economy, and even the ongoing health crisis.

The list of issues does not end there, however. One also needs to pay attention to how Donald

Trump and his close aides perceive their political opponents, not only those in the Democratic

Party but any Republican whose ideas collide with Trump’s as well. The former president had

carried on dismissing people who oppose his agenda, including lashing out at reporters for asking

questions that seem to criticize the administration’s lack of adequate action on dealing with

pressing issues. Call to mind his many insults, such as the “failing” New York Times, “failing pile

of garbage” BuzzFeed, and — most notably — moments of direct confrontation with CNN’s then-

chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta when remarks like “fake news” and “[you are a]

rude, terrible person” where thrown about. And then take a look at how he treated right-wing

media outlets, especially Fox News, where he tended to have hourlong rants and raves on the

telephone with the hosts of the channel’s weekday morning show Fox & Friends.

Donald Trump has been frequently name-calling his political rivals, particularly those who have

participated in the presidential race against him. “Crooked” and “Disgraceful” Hillary Clinton.

“Crazy” and “Disaster” Bernie Sanders. “Radical Left, Do Nothing” Democrats. It is even close

to disgusting when one finds out that Trump has done the same derogatory name-calling to

members of his own administration and other officials in the same political party — for instance,

“Sloppy” Steve Bannon (former chief strategist), “Wacko” John Bolton (former national security

adviser), “failed lawyer” Michael Cohen (former personal attorney) and “human scum” Never

Trumpers (Republicans who have expressed that they cannot support Trump). Comments like

these certainly do not demonstrate the kind of appropriate behavior that is normally expected from

the President of the United States. The reality that the highest leader of a country which was

formerly dubbed the melting pot of the world and the forebearer of democracy is now the very

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same actor that is disseminating bigotry and hatred across the nation is downright disturbing. It is

crystal clear that Donald Trump did not take heed of what 19th century French diplomat and

political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville said about the U.S. president — although it is virtually

impossible to believe that he would have even read Democracy in America, which is one of the

thinker’s most notable works:

The President is chosen for four years, and he may be re-elected, so that the chances of a

future administration may inspire him with hopeful undertakings for the public good and give him

the means of carrying them into execution. (de Tocqueville; Boorstin, p.121, 1990)

With reference to the prior example, it is necessary to understand the core component of tribalism

in a political context. The most convincing possibility is that it is in our basic human nature to

focus our attention on the elements that we give credit to. In fact, the reason why the American

public is scattered across the entire political spectrum — with the Democrats on one end, the

Republicans on the other end, and a lot of perceivably neutral in-betweeners — is that each and

every individual keeps hold of different stances concerning subject matters. Think about how there

are contested opinions on matters that can exert influence on individual, social, domestic and

international levels. The situation is quite complicated to the extent that it might even leave one to

wonder whether or not it would have to be dubbed as the Divided States of America instead of the

United. Take a look at what happens during public rallies organized for presidential and

congressional candidates. While this is not about siding with one polar extreme on the political

spectrum or making a disapproving generalization about all events, it would not be fallacious to

state that Republican rallies tend to add fuel to the fire of highly sensationalized rhetorics like

“Ignorance and immigrants. They mix together! / If you don’t speak English and don’t contribute,

get out! (The New York Times, 2016)”

To offer a personal perspective on the circumstances in regards to the Trump administration, I

believe that the goings-on resemble more of a cult following and less of a political organization. It

is fairly evident that the current members of the White House have been doing everything in their

power to plow up the legacy that was left by their predecessor Barack Obama. The Deferred Action

for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy that allows illegal aliens inside the country to be exempt

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from deportation for two years and receive valid working permits, is on the brink of termination

after the commencement of a review of its terms and conditions together with the rejection of new

applications. Donald Trump was also under heavy fire from some of the most prestigious American

universities, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, after

announcing that new international students who will only be attending online courses throughout

the upcoming semester will be banned from entering the country. Although some claimed that it

was the intention of the president to keep schools up running again so that the national economy

can be revived in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, there was also the argument that this also

ties into the typical Trumpian logic of how the new students might potentially turn into illegal

immigrants that will take precious employment and social welfare opportunities away from the

American people. The controversial decision has since been rescinded, which is surely a news of

reassurance for so many educators and prospective students.

In this day and age, we are living in a multimedia society that is heavily saturated by the news.

Turn on the television, and you immediately come into contact with a barrage of on-the-ground

reports and heated panel discussions. Go on the internet, and you are immediately inundated with

numerous commentaries about the events that have been unfolding on the world stage. Flick

through the newspaper, and you are directly exposed to lengthy pieces of writing that are either

based on concrete facts or subjective opinions. In short, we are surrounded by the 24-hours-a-day,

7-days-a-week news cycle environment that makes us virtually impossible to divert our eyes away

from all the breaking news. Furthermore, we currently exist in a world where the ever-growing

prominence of social media is becoming an inevitable occurrence. Not only are we passively

stockpiling information and knowledge related to the news, but we also tend to serve as the creators

of news contents which will presumably affect so many others both in and outside the borders of

our countries. However, we simply cannot be in denial of the fact that this very social media is to

be blamed as the primary source of the recently controversial fake news outbreak.

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3. Motivations for Research Now, one might wonder as to how modern media is related to the status quo of American politics.

With reference to this, bear in mind that current media sources, regardless of which form they take,

maintain characteristics which make them inalienable from identifying with particular political

perspectives. Some print media (e.g. The New York Times, The Washington Post) and television

networks (e.g. CNN, NBC News) lean more towards liberal opinions. In contrast, certain outlets

like The New York Post, Breitbart News and Fox News (together with its radio and television

shows) tend to deliver conservative opinions. As a matter of fact, it is fairly challenging to find a

communications channel that has an entirely neutral standpoint. As for the reason why, it is not

because people are disinterested in a source that merely provides factual information, but rather

since we are psychologically hardwired to support an agency that publicizes our side’s agenda with

diligence. In fact, it is this particular tendency which is further exacerbating the ever-present issue

of fake news.

In essence, the intertwined relationship between political tribalism and fake news is clearly visible

in the United States: fake news is the literal driving force of political tribalism. As previously

explained, since human beings are often inclined to stay in a cocoon state surrounded by the only

things that they wish to see and listen to, fake news makes further use of this fundamental instinct

and adds fuel to the fire by obscuring or, even worse, distorting the realities of both the past and

the present. Consider how the former residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have also played a

role in spreading fake news not just about its previous administration, but also in regards to a

handful of contemporary events which will be examined in the thesis: the 58th presidential election

back in November 2016, the 59th presidential election in November 2020, the anti-racist Black

Lives Matter movement that has been continuing since July 2013, and the COVID-19 crisis that

has been raising serious health concerns since December 2019.

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II. Recent Trends in Media and Politics 1. Transformation of the Media Landscape The present media environment is designed in a way that it can be defined by certain characteristics

like freedom and interactivity. In order to understand it better, first think of a free market economy.

This particular economic system can commonly be found in capitalist countries where any personal

and/or professional actors can freely set up businesses and commence financial transactions with

the goods and services that they provide. The same idea can be applied to the media environment

of today. Think about how easy it is to introduce yourself and share your own ideas and

perspectives on the perpetually expanding space of tight-knit cyber networks. Seeing as how we

are guaranteed the freedom of speech and expression by the law, it would not be an exaggeration

to claim that bringing about conversation pertaining to any particular issue needs to be considered

as a basic human right.

Before delving into discussion about the growth of social media and the rise of the fake news

phenomenon, we first need to explore several critical concepts, starting with how the media

landscape has transformed and evolved over the course of time. The invention of the telephone,

which was later substituted by the digital mobile phone (and currently smartphone), played a

pivotal part in making long-distance verbal interactions possible. Next came the Internet

Revolution, in which the formerly military-only network became readily available to the masses

and guaranteed not only borderless, timeless communication but also made access to a treasure

trove of information readily available. Now there is the Social Network Revolution, whereby

people can truly appreciate the values of diversity and opportunity by venturing beyond the

interpersonal connections that they have already established. To help better understand these

phenomena, here is an explanation from Lee Rainie — director of internet and technology research

at Pew Research Center — and Barry Wellman — head of the international NetLab Network at

the University of Toronto (2012, 11-12):

First, the Social Network Revolution has provided the opportunities — and stresses — for

people to reach beyond the world of tight groups. It has afforded more diversity in relationships

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and social worlds — as well as bridges to reach these worlds and maneuverability to move among

them. At the same, it has introduced the stress of not having a single home base and of reconciling

the conflicting demands of multiple social worlds.

Second, the Internet Revolution has given people communications power and information

gathering capacities that dwarf those of the past. It has also allowed people to become their own

publishers and broadcasters and created new methods for social networking. This has changed the

point of contact from the household (and work group) to the individual. Each person also creates

her own internet experiences, tailored to her needs.

Third, the Mobile Revolution has allowed ICTs to become body appendages allowing

people to access friends and information at will, wherever they go. In return, ICTs are always

accessible. There is the possibility of a continuous presence and pervasive awareness of others in

the network. People’s physical separation by time and space are less important.

What do the aforementioned three revolutions in the world of media have in common? The most

obvious answer would be that its prime actors have enabled us to interact with one another without

being impeded by spatial and temporal boundaries. In other words, the primary role of the mobile

device, the Internet, and the social network which has been described above solely focuses on one

aspect of social context: building and reinforcing human connections. However, one needs to pay

attention to the fact that the social context also includes an element of exchanging personal

opinions that might otherwise remain in confidentiality. To put it simply, the comprehension of

the term public sphere should be necessitated when it comes to explaining the past, present and

future of the worldwide media environment.

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2. Expansion of the Public Sphere One other area that needs to scrutinized is the idea of the public sphere put forward by Jürgen

Habermas, one of the most important German philosophers of the later 20th century who focuses

on communicative rationality, critical theory and pragmatism. According to Habermas, the ‘public

sphere’ refers to the space in which people can come together to discuss their viewpoints about

social issues in order to exert political influence, as in Fuchs (2017, 219):

Habermas characterizes some important dimensions of the public sphere (1989b, 136,

1989c, 27):

- Formation of public opinion.

- All citizens have access.

- Conference in unrestricted fashion (freedom assembly, freedom of association, freedom

of expression and publication of opinions) about matters of general interest.

- Debate over the general rules governing relations.

“Whenever social conditions are equal, public opinion presses with enormous weight upon

the minds of each individual; it surrounds, directs, and oppresses him, and this arises from the very

constitution of society much more than from its political laws. ... In whatever way the powers of a

democratic community may be organized and balanced, then, it will always be extremely difficult

to believe what the bulk of the people reject or to profess what they condemn. (de Tocqueville,

p.261, 1990)”

It is entirely conceivable that one might find it intriguing as to how it bears close resemblance to

the basic rights outlined in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which

reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free

exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people

peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Various actors

of media have been in operation based on this constitutional principle; however, the kind of

medium where this has been secured the most will presumably be social media.

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3. Growth of Social Media What makes social media social? This is the essential question that needs to be addressed when

you are trying to understand how it is different from traditional media sources such as the

newspaper, television and the internet. One distinctive characteristic of social media would be

creativity. Regardless of the shape it takes — whether it is a heavily text-based blog, a decently

extensive piece of entertaining audio, or a primarily visual video clip — individuals can project

their personal brands and identities onto the web or open up communal dialogues about various

issues.

Furthermore, there is the element of selectivity. Unlike television news programs and both on- and

off-line newspaper articles, social media platforms provide their users with the privilege to actively

choose and follow the news sources based on their personal preferences. On account of the fact

that one powerful feature of social media is that literally anyone can create an account, we — as

both producers and consumers of contents shared across the online space — have an inherent

tendency to devote attention only on the kinds of information that are in line with our social and

political perspectives in connection with the wider world around us.

Collective intelligence cannot be overlooked as another prominent feature of social media. Taking

into account the fact that social media has an even greater audience than the traditional internet,

the aggregate power of groups with shared ideas and values becomes even more overwhelming.

Consider how it is becoming progressively achievable for a small number of like-minded

individuals — or even just a single person — to host public events or spark movements that voice

for change and progress. With just a few clicks, anybody can coordinate an event for the masses

and utilize it as a space for further strengthening the process of bringing together the interests of

the community in which they belong to.

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4. Rise of Political Engagement Just as how the introduction of the internet has forever transformed the global media landscape,

the now-pervasive social media is a breeding ground for a wide array of online interactions. For

an incalculable amount of time, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were at the forefront of

building new communities as well as strengthening already-existing relationships. However, in

light of what has been recently taking place in the American society, it is quite evident that the

function of social media does not stop there; they are also becoming a means of both expressing

and sharing political dialogue. Take a look at your social media feed, which can be constantly

updated with the simple flick of a finger. Moreover, after some scrolling down to the bottom of

each content, you can also set your eyes on countless comments that have been written by other

users. How many times have you come across a post or a tweet that does not have either a link to

an online news article or a series of hashtags including social and political buzzwords?

One might be wondering as to how this specific situation is critical to the status quo of American

society. Taking into account the reality that there is a virtually inseparable relationship between

young people and social media, it would not be an exaggeration to say that an increasing number

of the youth demographic is experiencing political engagement regardless of the platform that they

are actively using. To a certain degree, social media can be put to use as a valuable tool for young

people to heighten their levels of interest regarding the current state of affairs and even offer

opportunities for them to ponder on their perspectives about the issues that are of significant

importance. Numerous media reports and research evidence reveal that greater numbers of people

are getting their news from Facebook, Twitter and other services instead of conventional mass

media outlets such as newspapers, magazines and television. As such, plenty of traditional media

networks are uploading summarized posts, website links to articles and even visual materials

including photos and videos on these sites. In other words, the status of social media as a potential

news apparatus is getting stronger.

What does this phenomenon entail? One of the positive aspects is that it can generate meaningful

discussion about American problems and its solutions, particularly in between different

generations. Since a huge majority of parents are taking on supervisory roles, they too are

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becoming aware of the political contents that are seen by their teenagers and children who

frequently use social media. It also holds relevant to the recent trend; during the 2020 presidential

election which had set the highest record of voter turnout, a significant number of that consisted

of votes from young people. One article from the National Geographic did suggest the plausibility

of such phenomenon: “The Harvard Youth Poll, a bi-annual poll of Harvard Kennedy School’s

Institute of Politics published this week, also found historic interest in this year’s election. Young

Americans are on track to surpass record-setting 2008 youth voting numbers. Among the young

respondents to the poll, 63 percent said they will “definitely be voting” compared with 47 percent

during the fall of 2016. (Toole, 2020)” Even though it may be challenging to argue that increased

exposure to news stories and expert commentaries on these online platforms is entirely responsible

for an increase in political participation among the youth — since the trials and tribulations of the

past four years originating from President Donald Trump’s lack of effective leadership is also to

blame — the fact that the American population in general is keeping a closer watch on what is

taking place in their home country is an indisputable truth.

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5. Proliferation of Fake News Before coming to grips with the recent phenomenon, understanding the definition of fake news is

a must.

“Fake news is not news you disagree with.

“Fake news” is “fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in

organizational process or intent ... Fake news overlaps with other information disorders, such as

misinformation (false or misleading information) and disinformation (false information that is

purposely spread to deceive people).” [David M. J. Lazer, et al., “The Science of Fake News,”

Science 09 Mar 2018: Vol. 359, Issue 6380, pp.1094-1096] (Cornell University Library, 2020)”

Anyone who has at least taken a look at history books will surely be aware of the fact that fake

news has existed throughout the course of human history. Think about all of those intricate plots

that were conspired either to bring down powerful rivals or to incite armed conflict against another

nation. So why do we need to focus our attention on fake news that is being passed around on

social media? What is it about them that makes it all the more destructive and disturbing? Given

the fact that a considerable number of people are getting increasingly disengaged with domestic

politics, together with the undeniable truth that human beings are essentially hardwired to put

confidence in what they want to believe, putting together the assertion that fake news will be no

more than a temporary issue that will come to an end momentarily is a gross understatement.

To the casual eye, one might find it puzzling as to why fake news is being produced and why there

are those that remain convinced by fake news. But the disturbing reality of such form of social

media bias can be realized by recognizing what the filter bubble and the echo chamber are.

According to internet activist Eli Parisier, a filter bubble is an “own personal, unique universe of

information that you live in online. And what’s in your filter bubble depends on who you are, and

it depends on what you do. (Parisier, 2011)” What about the echo chamber? “An echo chamber is

an environment where a person only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce

their own. (GCFGlobal, n.d.)” The easiest way to remember these terms would be to visualize

yourself stuck inside the confines of a building with like-minded others.

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III. Case Studies 1. 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: Hillary Clinton vs Donald Trump

“Who or what is ultimately more responsible for Donald Trump’s triumph: the people who

voted (who chose Hillary Clinton by a large margin) or the structure of our political system

(dominated by the outdated Electoral College, which weighs some ballots more than others and

routinely hands victory to the loser of the popular vote)? (Taylor, pp.175-176, 2019)”

It would not be outlandish to claim that there are considerable numbers of people who still remain

in outright disbelief regarding the results of the American presidential election that took place four

years ago. However, it would be misleading to posit that the proliferation of fake news on social

media is entirely to blame for Hillary Rodham Clinton falling short of becoming the first-ever

female president in the nation’s history to take office. Some might suppose that it has to do with

the puzzling elements of the American political system — the electoral college in particular — but

in fact there is a much larger issue at play. The most critical cause of Hillary’s defeat would be

that a barrage of social media posts from various outlets further fueled the sense of tribalism and

disenfranchisement towards the political establishment. At the same time, one should clearly note

that a great majority of online disinformation originated from foreign actors, namely Russia, which

dispersed anti-Clinton opinions all over social media. In her post-election memoir, What Happened,

Clinton (2017, 359) writes:

The simplest part is traditional state-run media; in this case, Russian networks such as RT

and Sputnik. They use their global reach to push Kremlin talking points over the airwaves and

social media, including malicious headlines like “Clinton and ISIS Funded by Same Money.”

Sputnik frequently used the same Twitter hashtag as Trump: #CrookedHillary.

However, one simultaneously needs to take note that interference by foreign actors is not entirely

to blame for the failure of the first-ever attempt to shatter the ‘glass ceiling’ associated with the

highest political office in the United States. To put it in simpler terms, a significant number of fake

news attacks directed towards the Clinton campaign were actually carried out by then-Republican

contender and current president Donald Trump. That she intentionally used her private e-mail

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account to communicate with other world leaders in order to compromise national security. That

she and many others in the Democratic Party are discreetly running an underground sex ring that

exploits innocent children. That certain fleeting moments caught on camera prove that the

seemingly precarious state of her health alone makes her highly unfit to run as president. In other

words, unverified rumors and disputed facts — ranging from the Pizzagate controversy to

Clinton’s unstable physical condition — spreading like wildfire across the internet about the

former secretary of state transformed into a strong opposition to her political campaign and

eventually cost her potential presidency. Focus on the following tweets from actual users:

Not from the Onion but from a WH source - "Hillary Clinton purposely lost the election

with the aid of Russian hacking so the Democrats could then impeach Trump" (@BrianKarem,

2019)

Hillary: Looks we are heading for a win.

Team: That would be a disaster. How are we going to impeach Trump?

Hillary: We gotta do something!

Team: Deep state can help!

Hillary: Right, tell Comey to release the letter! But also I will fake a fall at 911 memorial.

Team: Brilliant! (@TwiTati, 2019)

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1.1. The Great Hack (2016) “Explore how a data company named Cambridge Analytica came to symbolize the dark side of

social media in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Netflix, 2019)” According to its

filmmakers Karim Amer and Jehane Nouhaim, The Great Hack “concerns the data that the public

hands over to tech companies willingly every day — and what happens when that valuable

information is exploited for profit and weaponized for political gain. (Coates, 2020)” The 2019

documentary discusses in extensive detail the Cambridge Analytica scandal as what went wrong

with the 2016 election in America, when the previously mentioned political consulting firm based

in the United Kingdom used its services to illegally collect millions of data from Facebook users

in order to produce and direct misinformation on target voters.

‘They have tried their best. Yet they have failed. And there is nothing we can do about it. What

more is there to say?’ On the surface, such a train of thought does appear to be valid; the results of

the 2016 presidential race can no longer be overturned in Hillary Clinton’s favor at this point in

time when the presidency of Donald Trump has already met its end. But at the same time, the

aforesaid logic can be regarded as misleading. One concrete reason behind this claim is associated

with the very message the directors of The Great Hack wish to deliver to the audience: it is not

merely election interference that was perpetrated by the government of a foreign adversary which

has crushed the hopes and dreams of those yearning for Hillary’s America. Another point to take

note of is the extent to which a technology company can go and stand idly by its own malpractice

that brought ripple effects on one of the paramount political procedures in the United States. In

short, the documentary is highly recommended for anyone seeks to find out the unconstitutional

aspects of social media practices during and after the 2016 election.

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1.2. #QAnon and #Pizzagate

What is QAnon? And what is Pizzagate? At first sight, these two terms — frequently referred to

by the conventional and contemporary media alike — may sound alien. But the truth is, it does not

even require several hours of probing to take in the fact that they are on the inventory of most

frequent hoaxes that Hillary Clinton was allegedly colluding in. According to an article from

Reuters, QAnon is a conspiracy theory in which its “core tenet ... is that U.S. President Donald

Trump is secretly fighting a cabal of child-sex predators that includes prominent Democrats ...

(Reuters Staff, 2020)” Pizzagate is synonymous with QAnon in that it accused Hillary Clinton of

using a local pizza parlor in Washington D.C. “as a front for a pedophile sex ring; the backroom

was supposedly used for kidnapping and trafficking children. (Samuelson, 2016)”

We cannot deny the severity of the real-world consequences that having faith in such extreme

ideologies can entail, in particular the incident of how one individual went “to the restaurant to

"self-investigate" reports of the child-trafficking ring (Sebastian, Bruney, 2020)” while armed with

various lethal weapons. However, there is a considerably larger issue at play here. It is absolutely

sickening having to admit the unsettling reality that there were a significant number of people who

were indeed convinced by QAnon and Pizzagate-related social media contents in the first place.

One could be skeptical as to how such a phenomenon can occur; even so, it is beyond question

that recurrent exposure to twisted perspectives which originate from “trollish corners of the

internet (LaFrance, 2020)” can have a profound impact upon one’s political opinions. What is even

more alarming is that the former US president was unequivocally wiling to use such conspiracy

theories in order to propel baseless attacks on Hillary Clinton, her presidential campaign and other

Democratic contenders — inappropriately branding them as sexual predators.

21

1.3. Russia’s Democratic National Committee Hack

Possibly the most shocking news story that will come to mind while giving thought to the 2016

election would be a series of cyber-attacks that were carried out by several staff members within

the Russian government on the Democratic National Committee (DNC). One primary reason why

this was regarded as a grave threat to US national security is that it clearly had an impact on the

course of the pre-election atmosphere. According to Michael Isikoff (investigative journalist) and

David Corn (political commentator), one of the perpetrators who orchestrated the hack revealed

massive amounts of confidential materials online, including “personal information on DNC donors,

fundraising documents from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (the Democratic

outfit known by its abbreviation DCCC and focused on House races), internal records from the

Clinton campaign, and emails from the Clinton Foundation. (Isikoff, Corn, pp.126-133, 2018)”

Investigations conducted by the members of the United States’ intelligence community, coupled

with the proceedings in the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, clearly indicate who is to blame

for the assault on democracy and its political institutions in the United States; “Russian President

Vladimir Putin directly ordered ... with the goal of leaking damaging information ... and provide a

boost to President Trump’s campaign. (Brewster, 2020)” What is all the more alarming is that

then-presidential candidate Donald Trump sent out an open invitation to the Russian government

to launch yet another virtual strike on U.S. soil:

"Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,"

Mr. Trump said, referring to emails Mrs. Clinton had deleted from the private account she had

used when she was secretary of state. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our

press." (Schmidt, 2018)

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2. 2020 U.S. Presidential Election: Joe Biden vs Donald Trump Why should the 2020 US presidential election be treated differently from the one which was held

four years previously? While it is justifiable to say that the growing presence of fraudulent

information on social networking sites is sparking controversy once again, there is a major

dissimilarity when it comes to clarifying who should be considered guilty for the ongoing unrest

surrounding the final results even though the next president has been officially decided. It is

downright disturbing when one comes to the realization that it is in fact the ex-president, his family

members, former White House staffers and even a significant number of Republican officials who

were all in on the action to hold back Joe Biden from becoming the next leader to serve the country

and its people. Not only did the status quo lay waste to the centuries-old tradition of concession,

but also it showed that the gap in between the supporters of two opposing parties is increasingly

widening, turning politics into a source for like-minded individuals to remain obsessed over the

stance that they feel content with, instead of letting it become the process of collaboration for the

purpose of creating an output that would have a positive influence across the society.

Even without having detailed knowledge of the policies proposed by each of the presidential

candidates, it is as plain as day that Biden and Trump are projecting distinct images through social

media as well. One article from Forbes touches on this exact subject matter:

According to David Schweidel, a marketing professor at Emory University, there’s been a

"very stark difference" in how each candidate presents themselves: Biden has been portraying

himself as someone who will unite the nation, while Trump has been pitching himself as a "savior."

And while Trump’s ads are looking back on the successes he claims to have had, Biden is

addressing the challenges the nation is currently facing. Schweidel adds that Trump’s ads play well

to his most ardent supporters, but might not resonate with people who are still on the fence.

"The way in which Biden is positioning himself a uniter is consistent with some of the

advertising he is pushing out there which is the get-out-the-vote advertising," Schweidel says.

"And so, that to me makes the strongest play to the undecided, the people who are on the fence

who say, ‘Am I voting for the one-man show or the person who is going to pull us together?’

(Swant, 2020)"

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2.1. The Social Dilemma (2020) “Can’t stop looking at your phone? You’re not alone. The obsessive appeal of social networking

isn’t a bug — it’s a feature. (Netflix, 2020)” The Social Dilemma is a documentary which holds

as testament to the fact “ad-supported networks use addictive interface elements (like endless

scrolling and pop-up notifications) and automated personalization (like recommended videos or

groups) to increase engagement with harmful but compelling content (like conspiracy theories,

misinformation, and mean comments from your ... followers). (Robertson, 2020)”

Here is one aspect to take note of: if The Great Hack led our attention towards the foreign actors

that jeopardized the presidential race for Hillary Clinton, The Social Dilemma implicitly criticizes

the actions and remarks of the Trump administration, as well as those of the followers of Donald

Trump inside the Republican Party:

What I don’t understand is why people refuse to acknowledge reality when they see

undeniable, factually accurate information. They will look at a video or a legitimate news

source and say, "That’s fake."

It goes back to this line that we have in the film from Justin Rosenstein [a former

Facebook engineer who cocreated the Like button], where you look at the other side and you ask

yourself, “How could they be so wrong? How can they not know the truth?” And the reality is that

they’re just seeing a very, very different truth than you in that instance. (Breznican, 2020)

Look back to how Donald Trump, his family members (Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump), and

even his personal lawyer (Rudy Giuliani) have repetitively undermined and ridiculed the authority

of the presidential election by claiming that they have won the race beyond the shadow of a doubt.

That the mail-in voting process will be riddled with either unfilled or missing ballots. That any

ballots arriving after the election day should not be included when tallying the results. That the

machines at voting booths will be rigged so as to come out in Joe Biden’s favor. In essence, the

Trump administration basically tried to do everything in their power to “stop the steal” by

inventing a series of unconfirmed hoaxes.

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2.2. Parler, MeWe, Gab ...

the world’s town square.

Speak freely and express yourself openly, without fear of being “deplatformed” for your views.

Engage with real people, not bots. Parler is people and privacy-focused, and gives you the tools

you need to curate your Parler experience. (Parler, 2020)

Now seems like the right time to remind you all — both lovers and haters — why we started

this platform. We believe privacy is paramount and free speech essential, especially on social

media. Our aim has always been to provide a nonpartisan public square where individuals can

enjoy and exercise their rights to both.

We will resolve any challenge before us and plan to welcome all of you back soon. We

will not let civil discourse perish! (Parler, 2021)

First, Apple and Google removed the app from their app stores because they said it had not

sufficiently policed its users’ posts, allowing too many that encouraged violence and crime. Then ...

Amazon told Parler it would boot the company from its web-hosting service ... because of repeated

violations of Amazon’s rules. (Nicas, Alba, 2021)

Does Parler sound familiar? Irrespective of whether one has ever used the app, it is beyond

question one has heard the name at least once on the news or online. In spite of the fact that the

description of Parler on its official website have been compiled by the founders and thus can be

seen as subjective, the claim that it upholds the First Amendment right of freedom of speech

appears to be convincing to a certain extent. Nevertheless, one cannot help but look at Parler under

a different light when one comes to realize that the platform is a haven for “Donald Trump

supporters, conservatives, conspiracy theorists, and right-wing extremists. (Wikipedia, 2020)”

Control: You have full control over your newsfeeds and the order of how posts appear. We

do not manipulate, filter, or change the order of your newsfeeds.

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Positive connections: MeWe empowers you and enriches your world. It’s the fun, uplifting

social media experience in the spirit of trust, control, and love. (Sgrouples, 2020)

MeWe is a 4-year-old, full-featured social media company positioned as an anti-Facebook.

It says it does not collect data on its users, and features a Privacy Bill of Rights. In the past year,

MeWe more than doubled its membership to nearly 15 million. In the week ending Jan. 12, it was

downloaded 787,000 times from Apple and Google’s smartphone app stores, according to

SensorTower. (Bajak, 2021)

Gab is the free speech social network. Our mission is to defend, protect and preserve

free speech online for all people. Gab refused to censor on behalf of Apple and Google and is

banned from both App Stores, but you can still get the Gab app on your phone here. (Gab, 2020)

“The site, which looks like a mash-up of Twitter and Facebook, calls itself "the free speech

social network" and has welcomed extremist right-wing figures and believers of QAnon, the loose

collection of conspiracy theories that touch on everything ... Gab prides itself on allowing users to

post whatever they would like, though the platform notes one of its jobs is to "take action to prevent

and remove any illegal activity in our community."

"I didn’t set out to build a ‘conservative social network’ by any means. But I felt that it was

time for a conservative leader to step up and to provide a forum where anybody can come and

speak freely without fear of censorship," Torba told The Post in 2016. "Every major

communication outlet, every major social network, is run, owned, controlled and operated by

progressive leaders, progressive workers in Silicon Valley." (Andrews, 2021)

What is the heart of the matter here? The point is not about merely comparing the user functions

or the organizational structure of the system on which these social media platforms are operated;

it is about how they all serve as catalysts for the advocates of the Republican Party — and Donald

Trump in particular — to continue to spew dishonest information and hateful rhetoric about Joe

Biden and the Democratic Party.

26

2.3. Washington D.C. Protests and the U.S. Capitol Riots What was your reaction when you ran into breaking news headlines about the United States Capitol

Building — the actual venue where “the Senate and House of Representatives come together to

discuss, debate and deliberate national policy; develop consensus; and craft the country’s laws

(Architect of the Capitol, n.d.)” — being trespassed and trampled by a raging mob of right-wing

extremists and conspiracists? The collection of live images and videos associated with the U.S.

Capitol riots clearly cannot go unnoticed; along with the volatile nature of the disturbance that

broke out in one of America’s important historical landmarks, they go on to show how a substantial

number of the American populace actually decided to act violently according to the former

president’s speech that was replete with hostility and insurrection.

Nothing will stop us .... they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending

upon DC in less than 24 hours .... dark to light! (@Ashli_Babbitt, 2021)

Hello from the Capitol lol (@OchsForHawaii, 2021)

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Just evacuated my office in Cannon due to a nearby threat. Now we’re seeing protesters

assaulting Capitol Police. This is wrong. This is not who we are. I’m heartbroken for our nation

today. (@RepNancyMace, 2021)

Electoral college ballots rescued from the Senate floor. If our capable floor staff hadn’t

grabbed them, they would have been burned by the mob. (@SenJeffMerkley, 2021)

28

3. Black Lives Matter Movement What did the eight years — from 2009 to 2017 — of Barack Obama’s presidency mean to the

American public? In essence, what is the legacy of the Obama administration? The mere fact that

the country has managed to elect a person of African-American descent for the first time ever in

its more than 200-year-old history carries substantial weight. It means that the concerted efforts of

both prominent and unnamed people who shed their blood, sweat and tears fighting for racial rights

will not be in vain. It means that the American society in general has managed to acknowledge

and preserve the asset of ethnic diversity up to a point.

Unfortunately, the current circumstances make us have second thoughts whenever we come into

contact with recurring cases of police brutality — which often led to the disturbing deaths of

innocent, unarmed black people. In that sense, it is absolutely necessary for us to remember the

names of those who have been unjustifiably hunted down by the very law enforcement officials

who are obliged to ensure the safety and security of their communities. “Eric Garner ... Alton

Sterling ... Freddie Gray ... Tamir Rice ... Sandra Bland ... Samuel DuBose ... Philando Castle ...

Walter Scott ... (Sanders, pp.157-158, 2017)” “Her name: Breonna Taylor. (Glover, Richards,

Devine, Griffin, 2020)” “... George Floyd ... (Woodward, p.336, 2018)” Even so, that is not the

only thing that should be noticed in consideration of the Black Lives Matter movement; look

carefully at the recent social media trends.

As part of the July survey, the Center asked social media users who say they have changed

their views about a political or social issue because of something they saw to describe a recent

instance when this took place. Some 12% of these adults say they changed their views ... about the

Black Lives Matter movement or about police brutality and the need for police reform.

“Reading articles on the BLM movement has opened my eyes to the degree of systemic

racism in this country and the world.” – Woman, 64

A similar share of social media users (11%) say they changed their views about race

relations in general – such as racism and discrimination ...

29

“I have become more aware of systemic racism and the reason for protests and riots.” –

Woman, 37 (Perrin, 2020)

There is one other issue that should be taken into account. Although it is by no means wrong to

state that one can also participate in the Black Lives Matter movement online by expressing interest

in social media contents regarding race, the same cannot be conceivably said for changing one’s

profile picture to pitch black nothingness or uploading posts with related hashtags to try and

express solidarity to the cause. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that even such a simple,

symbolic gesture is enough to make the American society go one step closer towards racial justice

and equality. In reality, though, this kind of hashtag activism can trigger a reverse effect in which

people only pay attention to the movement when a racially motivated incident has taken place; as

illustrated in the Vox article, “The showiness of people posting about how they’re not posting

anything has served to derail and obscure actual BLM content through inconsiderate use of the

hashtags. Ostentatious stands by white people and other bystanders have dwarfed conversations

and stolen attention from actually informative posts related to the Black Lives Matter movement

and protests. (Romano, 2020)”. If one truly wishes to commit to the cause, one actually needs to

think about starting an actual, on-the-ground campaign with like-minded individuals in lieu of

passive social media content production and observation.

30

3.1. Trump’s Response to #BlackLivesMatter

Black Lives Matter leader states, “If U.S. doesn’t give us what we want, then we will burn

down this system and replace it”. This is Treason, Sedition, Insurrection! (@realDonaldTrump,

2020)

Told that @NYCMayor Bill de Blasio wants to paint the fabled & beautiful Fifth Avenue,

right in front of Trump Tower/Tiffany, with a big yellow Black Lives Matter sign. “Pigs in a

Blanket, Fry ‘Em Like Bacon”, referring to killing Police, is their chant. NYC Police are furious!

(@realDonaldTrump, 2020)

Even with just a handful of tweets, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Donald Trump

apparently has distorted views about the Black Lives Matter movement. During the numerous

speeches given at rallies and other mass events, Trump persistently played on the emotions of

insecurity and supremacy that many white people have against the black community. Furthermore,

despite the fact that only a small number of protesters became aggressive and wreaked havoc by

causing property damage, Trump went on to label even those who were marching in a peaceful

manner as delinquents who are aiming to terrorize other members of the society. In a nutshell, the

former president should also be held responsible for inciting words and actions of resentment

against the voices calling for the abolition of racial discrimination.

31

On a more personal note, one thing that I find quite perplexing about the relationship between

Donald Trump and the issue of race is that there are still a lot of black women and men who carry

on supporting Trump. As a matter of fact, there was even an event entitled Black Voices For Trump

as part of the 45th president’s reelection campaign. The very thought of it carries the same degree

of incredulity that I went through when I saw press images of either mostly caucasian females

holding up Women For Trump signs (despite his highly suggestive and inappropriate comments

on professional women from diverse walks of life, epitomized by the exposure of the 2005 Access

Hollywood bus tape) or Hispanic crowds waving Latinos Para Trump flags (in defiance of his

policy to construct a reinforced border wall that would thwart illegal Mexican immigrants from

entering the United States).

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3.2. Biden’s Response to #BlackLivesMatter It is a fact that Joe Biden, the newly elected President of the United States, is taking a totally

distinct approach with regards to how Donald Trump treated the Black Lives Matter movement

and the ongoing issue of racism. Even though it has only been a week since the Biden presidency

officially commenced, it would not be a mistake to have an optimistic outlook on how the Biden

administration will work towards tearing down the concrete walls of animosity and bigotry. Be

attentive to the poetic proses of America’s first national youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman: “We,

the successors of a country and a time where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised

by a single mother can dream of becoming president, only to find herself reciting for one. // We

are striving to forge our union with purpose. / To compose a country committed to all cultures,

colors, characters, and conditions of man. (Gorman, 2021)”

In great measure, one essential aspect of the Biden administration that sets it apart from its

predecessor is that the current president is continuing to outline a clear action plan that could help

tackle the issue of systemic racism that has long been deeply ingrained in the American society.

To put it simply, Joe Biden did not simply stop at commenting on Trump’s lack of initiative as in

one interview with ABC: “"The truth is, there’s a fundamental difference between Donald Trump

and me on the issue of race across the board," ... "This is a man who spent his entire career

denigrating African Americans. Denigrating them, continuing to denigrate them. To do nothing

but go after race and inflame it. Pour, you know, gasoline on the fire." (Gomez, 2020)”

One area to look over would be his inaugural address that was given to the American people on

January 21st, 2021 — and how the black community responded to it. Biden officially declared that

his administration will be striving to achieve racial justice for African-Americans in the United

States, and that he will serve to put an end to racially motivated acts of violence committed by the

agents who were convinced by extremist ideas including white supremacy. Although it would be

difficult to introduce every single statement from the black community about Biden’s first speech

as president, it could be said with confidence that there is a generally positive response, as one

leader of a black civil rights group mentioned, “"To be perfectly clear, it was incredibly powerful,"

Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, a national racial justice organization, told The

Associated Press. (The Associated Press, 2021)”

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It is also imperative that one reads over the list of names of those who will serve in the Biden

administration. Lloyd Austin, retired U.S. Army general who has served in the military for several

decades, will be dealing with circumstances pertaining to national defense. Linda Thomas-

Greenfield, who previously worked in the Bureau of African Affairs in the U.S. State Department,

is expected to become an Ambassador to the United Nations. Susan Rice, former national security

adviser under President Barack Obama, will take on an advisory role of domestic policies. And,

needless to say, Kamala Harris — former district attorney and attorney general for the state of

California — has teamed up with Biden and is at present working to achieve the values of equal

rights and unity represented in the official slogan Our Best Days Still Lie Ahead.

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4. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Since the end of last year, humanity has been struggling with yet another global health crisis. Even

at this moment — countless numbers of people are either being hospitalized for treatment or laid

to rest, medical professionals on the front lines are sparing no effort to ensure the health and safety

of those who had contracted the virus, and researchers are employing all available knowledge and

expertise to guarantee a swift, secure delivery of effective vaccines. Nevertheless, there is online

misinformation that adds fuel to the fire of uncertainty with relevance to the present pandemic.

While it is undeniably true that there has long been a substantial number of those who would not

put their faith in any medical procedure — let alone vaccines — the real problem is that erroneous

information about the disease and its remedies are putting countless people’s lives at stake.

Together with the harsh reality that the number of coronavirus cases in the United States is now

nearing twenty-six million — and the number of casualties has surpassed four hundred thousand

— there too exists a downright disturbing phenomenon in which COVID-19 is used in pushing

forward a political agenda instead of treating it as a severe health crisis that necessitates careful

decisions based on science. Outgoing President Donald Trump, as well as many other members in

his administration, have repeatedly shown behavior that visibly downplays its life-threatening risks.

That it has been intentionally spread by the Chinese government to cause chaos and confusion

within the American society. That it is not that different from a common cold or the flu and will

naturally vanish once the weather gets warm enough. That it could possibly even be a hoax that

was cooked up by President-Elect Joe Biden and the Democratic Party to legitimize mail-in ballots

that would ensure Donald Trump does not get another four years in the White House.

Although it is quite perplexing to believe that such words are actually coming from those who are

in charge of running the country, the reality that the Trump administration has been showing a

virtually indifferent attitude in effectively dealing with the currently ongoing pandemic is even

more outlandish. This lame-duck scenario would presumably help to explain why supporters of

President Trump — and even the president’s close aides — are not only maintaining their solid

faith in an array of unconfirmed health data and conspiracy theories but also serving as prime

actors in dispersing such misinformation that could leave countless other lives vulnerable.

35

4.1. Trump’s Response to COVID-19

Put yourself in the shoes of an average American, setting aside which part of the vast nation you

have come from, and ask yourself. Can you even imagine that the leader of the most powerful

country on earth is actually behaving in a manner that tries to downplay the risks involved with

coronavirus, the exact source of the global pandemic that has cost the lives of hundreds of

thousands of Americans so far? It is even as clear as day that you will be at a loss for words that

Donald Trump continued to display not just inadequate, but a total lack of adequate response in

the midst of the battle against COVID-19.

Donald Trump not only mocked Joe Biden during one of the presidential debates — “I don’t wear

a mask like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away

from him and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen... (The Commission on Presidential

Debates, 2020)” — but also confirmed in plain sight that fighting against coronavirus is not one

of his top priorities. After dumping all of the responsibility on Vice President Mike Pence by

appointing him as the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Trump went so far as to

post on social media a picture of himself advertising a bunch of food products — manufactured by

a company whose CEO had recently praised the president — placed on the sacred Resolute Desk.

What are the duties of the U.S. president? Serving as the chief commander of the nation’s armed

forces. Executing the legislations signed into law by the members of Congress. Being in charge of

nominating various key members in the administration. However, the responsibilities of the

executive branch do not stop there. The President of the United States should also be at the helm

of guiding and protecting the country, not only during times of economic crises or diplomatic

deadlocks, but also when the well-being of its people are under threat. If only had the former

president showed respect to the copious amounts of advice given from scientific authorities and

took immediate action during the onset of the pandemic, it is not in the slightest inaccurate to state

that a whole lot of American lives could have been saved.

36

4.2. Biden’s Response to COVID-19 It goes without saying that Joe Biden knows, from top to bottom, about what kinds of policy

decisions should be made to keep the safety and security of the American populace out of harm’s

way of the coronavirus that is ravaging across the world. In addition to attending a memorial event

remembering the hundreds of thousands of lost lives at the heart of the nation’s capital, the Biden

administration has put together a well-prepared action plan that could help deter — or even

potentially put a stop to — the spread of the virus.

He will make sure that no American will be denied the right to be tested. He will guarantee that

the medical treatments and vaccinations will be administered without any logistical problems. He

will insure that every U.S. citizen is educated with adequate and sufficient resources so that they

could overcome the pandemic. He will ensure that certain demographic groups who are

particularly vulnerable to the virus are protected. He will make certain that the American people

take a united stand against COVID-19 by putting on face masks, arranging other kinds of personal

protective equipment (PPE), and practicing social distancing.

So, what is the takeaway point from Joe Biden’s plan to combat coronavirus? The most

straightforward answer would be that it is in stark contrast to the utter fiasco that unfolded under

the Trump administration. One prime example of this would be the tense, disconcerting

relationship between Donald Trump and Dr. Anthony Fauci, acting director of the National

Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). According to multiple news sources, Dr.

Fauci has repeatedly been called out for suggesting advice that goes against the claims made by

the former president, even becoming Trump’s personal subject of envy in relation to his declining

popularity. One can never forget how there were even voices calling for Anthony Fauci to be let

go. Can such a state of tension be expected in between Biden and Fauci? Give thought to the

current administration’s new strategy that “pledges to “listen to science” (Maxmen, Subbaraman,

2021)” — which has been praised by medical professionals for its detailed coordination.

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IV. Solutions 1. For the individual

According to Darrell M. West, Director of the Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings

Institution, the best possible measures that social media users can take is “following a diversity of

people and perspectives” and “to keep their guard up and understand that not everything they read

is accurate and many digital sites specialize in false news. (West, 2017)” However, one needs to

ask the question: to what extent can they be effectual in making sure that one does not get tempted

into believing misinformation on the online space? The truth is, simply checking a whole variety

of sources on Facebook and Twitter is not the proper way to counter fake news. The list of solutions

for individuals can become an average book’s worth of pages, so just a couple of elements that

one needs to take note of in order to avoid social media disinformation will be provided here.

- Be on the lookout for any vocabulary or phrase that either elicits an intense emotion or identifies

with a particular political group.

- Pay attention to whether or not there is something wrong with the weblink address.

- Even if the content is from a respected source, you still need to ask if it is a column, an editorial

or a review, since they contain the author’s bias.

- Check if the material can be verified by looking up the date it was published, as well as the name

and the affiliation of the person (or people) who created the post.

- Think twice before sharing someone else’s article or post; otherwise, you too are culpable as an

agent of fake news.

- Try to continue sharing contents from authentic sources that can help divert the attention and

eventually drive away fake news.

- Devote time and effort to actually reading the material that has been posted instead of only

looking at the headlines or just a portion of the contents.

- Educate and inform people around you so that they are aware of how to act when they also run

into fake news on social media.

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2. For the company If I were to evaluate how successful the technology companies have been so far managing social

media platforms, it would be most likely for me to say that the results are mixed. The case-by-case

evaluation for Facebook and Twitter is as stated below.

In the case of Facebook, it has started by prohibiting any shape or form of content that can put

both the freedom and fairness of the election and possibly even the peaceful transition of power

on the line. Specific actions include providing informative items for voters, placing fact-checking

labels on posts, and preventing advertisements that could discourage eligible people from casting

their ballots, along with boosting the transparency of the website by clearly identifying who is

running a particular page. Moreover, Mark Zuckerberg, its chairman and CEO, has reached the

conclusion to lengthen “the block ... placed on his [Trump’s] Facebook and Instagram accounts

indefinitely (Zuckerberg, 2021).”

As for Twitter, it has gone a step further from Facebook. Although the website has similarly made

available a compilation of election-related information, one different feature is that it directly put

warning labels on posts that contain disinformation about any aspect of the presidential race or

which can threaten the historical legacy and founding values of the country. The examples vary

according to the degree of expression (of which I have arranged personally):

- Simple: Learn about US 2020 election security efforts; Get the facts about mail-in ballots; The

winner of the 2020 US Presidential Election has not been projected; Election officials have

certified Joe Biden as the winner of the U.S. Presidential election

- Serious: This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about spreading and misleading potentially

harmful information related to ...; This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence;

This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behavior; This tweet violated the Twitter Rules

about civic and election integrity

- Severe: Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about

an election or other civic process; This claim about election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t

be replied to, Retweeted or liked due to a risk of violence

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Even so, there exists a fundamental aspect of limitation that both Facebook and Twitter seem

incapable of coping with — that terminating a problematic private account such as Donald

Trump’s is by no means a one-size-fits-all answer. At present, the decision to whether or not

permanently suspend Trump from writing on Facebook is still pending. And even if the foregoing

president can no longer send out tweets at this moment, it cannot be stated with certainty that he

— let alone his associates — will reappear in some manner. Bear in mind what Whitney Phillips,

assistant professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University — spoke about

the status quo: “If democracy is a river, or a forest, or a pristine meadow, then social media

platforms are a factory spewing toxic pollutants into it. Even if you block the new effluent, the

pollution that has already escaped won’t just go away. It needs to be cleaned up. (Perrigo, 2021)”

So what should tech behemoths do to steer clear of aggravating the present crisis? Instead of

putting forward rudimentary, short-term policies such as deactivating and removing accounts, they

need to see the bigger picture and draw up long-standing plans, for instance, monitoring and

filtering any social media post which harbors content that falls short of the truth. How can that be

accomplished? Those who are in charge of managing these online platforms should have a moral

imperative to better the service environment so that its users can enjoy a satisfactory experience.

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3. For the society While keeping in mind that the dominant status of power social media has cannot be ignored, and

that it can help the “democratic impulse of allowing people to feel like they’re actually connected

to the people who represent them (Jones, 2020),” what kinds of efforts can be made by the

members of the society regarding social media?

For starters, there is the option of reinforcing the rules and regulations, including the regularly

discussed Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996 — a piece of legislation passed by the

U.S. Congress which carries rigorous standards on inappropriate materials that are circulating on

the internet. Additionally, it is precisely this law which has the recently contested Section 230, in

particular the subsection “(c) Protection for “Good Samaritan” Blocking and Screening of

Offensive Material — (1) Treatment of Publisher or Speaker: No provider or user of an interactive

computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by

another information content provider. (Communications Decency Act of 1996, 2021)” In order to

extinguish any offensive discourse, the wording in the legislation should be amended on account

of holding technology companies accountable for not being proactive when it comes to content

moderation. Doing so will inevitably set the scene for an atmosphere in which the general public

can serve as observers of the leading figures in the society that they belong to.

Yet another feasible answer to the previously mentioned question is to establish a third-party

agency that can operate in tandem with both social networking platforms and the news media to

uncloak unsubstantiated and deceptive facts and figures. One of its primary objectives would be

to inform and educate the people about how “fake news can spread faster than real facts on social

media — and that if we don’t agree on a shared reality ... political compromise will remain out of

reach. (Molla, 2020)” However challenging it may be to free someone who wishes to remain in

her or his echo chamber or filter bubble, the members of the society must cooperate with one

another to launch an independent institution that could lend a hand to solidifying the integrity of

contents that are being dispersed. Only then can social media be acknowledged as an incredibly

useful instrument for accumulating knowledge about what is happening in the world.

41

This eventually carries over to reflecting on how to restore American democracy to its former

glory. Examine carefully what the Obamas put forward in their autobiographies concerning the

best plausible ways to do so. In Becoming, Michelle (2018, 420-21) writes, “For every door that’s

been opened to me, I’ve tried to open my door to others. And here is what I have to say, finally:

Let’s invite each other in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions,

to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us.” This is in harmony with what

the 44th President of the United States put down in A Promised Land, that we should strive to set

foot on the peaceful state of social coexistence, since “the world watches America ... to see if our

experiment in democracy can work. To see if we can do what no other nation has ever done. To

see if we can actually live up to the meaning of our creed. (Obama, pp.xiv-xvi, 2020)”

At the end of the day, it is not in the slightest difficult to wrap one’s head around what each of the

relevant stakeholders need to do so that the chaos and confusion in the United States can be brought

to an end. Each and every individual need to do their best in putting to use fact-checking

mechanisms and comparing multiple news sources so as to not be misguided by the so-called

alternative facts that are posted and shared across social media. The executives of social

networking enterprises should be conscious of the fact that their websites are no longer exclusively

used for building relationships — that the standing of social media as a news outlet is proceeding

to escalate — and implement tougher content moderation policies along with safeguarding tools

for the users to shift their attention away from fake news. On top of that, the citizens and the

government of the United States should work side by side to keep a close eye on to what degree

political dialogues on the online space are being handled in a careful, constructive manner.

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V. Conclusion

Union. Justice. Tranquility. Welfare. Liberty. These are the key notions addressed in the

Constitution of the United States, one of the most sacrosanct documents in the country’s over than

200-year-old past. However, soon after the eight pleasant years with Barack Obama, the whole

world watched in dismay those very same ideas being mercilessly trampled on by ex-president

Donald Trump and his colleagues. Since day one, the Trump cabinet kept exhibiting manners that

withdrew the precious gifts of stability and progress left by its predecessor. The American people

stood there in utter disbelief, bearing witness to the circumstances of their social and political

systems being catapulted into a divisive state of disarray. The commander-in-chief launching

vicious attacks on his political opponents and the free press. The growing popularity of partisan

social networks in which similar-minded individuals seek refuge in. The extensive list of Black

Americans who have been illegitimately beaten or gunned down by white supremacy. The

worldwide pandemic that has cost hundreds of thousands of American lives.

Opportunity. Dignity. Respect. Honor. Truth. These are the critical values delivered in the speech

when Joe Biden took the presidential oath of office on January 20th, 2021, before the U.S. Capitol,

the site where — literally two weeks ago (at the time of the event) — yet another strike on the

foundations of American democracy transpired. It is a fact that there is ample evidence which

indicates so many Americans are feeling disenfranchised after being constantly harassed and

violated under the presidency of Donald Trump. It is about time that the United States preserves

and protects the wisdom of its founding fathers by aspiring to Build Back Better and thus prevail

in the Battle for the Soul of the Nation, much like the official catchphrases of the Biden presidential

campaign.

Here are the final parting thoughts from two of the central members in the current administration:

... I hear the voice of people calling for a future in which every American is more secure in

life and liberty and more able to pursue happiness. I hear the voice of people willing to make

sacrifices today to achieve that kind of tomorrow. It’s time for a president to listen to that rising

voice and to amplify it. It’s time for a president who can point the American people to the future

43

within their reach, tell them what it will take to get there, and vigilantly remind them why it’s

worth fighting for. It’s time for a president to stand up and remind the American people that we

have promises to keep — promises to the world, promises to one another, promises to our children

and to our grandchildren. In rededicating ourselves to the hard work of fulfilling those promises,

we restore America as the hope of the world and the vision of a brighter future. (Biden, p.363,

2008)

My daily challenge to myself is to be part of the solution, to be a joyful warrior in the battle

to come. My challenge to you is to join that effort. To stand up for our ideals and our values. Let’s

not throw up our hands when it’s time to roll up our sleeves. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

Years from now, our children and our grandchildren will look up and lock eyes with us.

They will ask us where we were when the stakes were so high. They will ask us what it was like.

I don’t want us to just tell them how we felt. I want us to tell them what we did. (Harris, pp.280-

281, 2020)

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