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We're getting started with tonight's webinar, hearing from @Rob_Flaherty, @BexRink and @timothydurigan about how the Biden campaign tracked and countered disinformation during the Presidential campaign.
The challenge Democrats faced in 2016 and 2020 was not simply right wing memes and content, it was targeted content aimed at persuading people to not vote, or to believe actual untruths, and was regularly racist in its nature.
. @Rob_Flaherty: we poll tested the attacks we faced to understand which worked, and which voters those attacks were persuading, so we could decide where to spend time and money countering dis- and misinformation.
@BexRink: counter-measures were deployed, targeting voters with ad messaging that polling - and focus groups - showed would be effective
@BexRink is talking about counter-messaging, aimed at pulling people away from the disinformation they saw. This content didn't seek to fact-check or myth-bust the attack itself per se, but instead provide voters with content which research showed would be persuasive
@timothydurigan is sharing how much of the counter-measures the campaign used to combat disinformation happened behind the scenes - holding social media companies to account for implementing their policies, and working to avoid having attacks repeated via fact checks.
How do you persuade someone who believes the disinformation? @timothydurigan: "tenacity and empathy". You need to understand where people are getting their information, reaching out privately to discuss rather than calling them out online, and keeping at it, patiently.
Digital organising was key. Organisers were trained on the same tools and approaches the digital team used so that everyone could play their part. That could include conversations with voters, but also utilising the voices of trusted figures in the community such as pastors.
Great thread here with insights from tonight's panel: https://twitter.com/vellstells/status/1329155973412491268
