To fight misinfo, news outlets are putting plans in place to combat false election night stories
In election night planning, news outlets are being mindful that they have to keep watch on what doesn't happen along with what does
NEW YORK (AP) — As news outlets get ready for election night, they're not only focusing on what happens. They're keeping watch over what doesn't.
Several plans to combat misinformation are in place across newsrooms that will follow the climax of a hard-fought campaign on Nov. 5. The Associated Press and others will take special steps to explain what they do. The New York Times is assigning reporters to comb the Internet for the first sign of new conspiracies. An NPR reporter will look for mischief created by artificial intelligence. ABC News has tried “pre-bunks” to prepare its viewers.
False stories that infected the political debate after Hurricane Helene this fall were a sobering reminder of how quickly things can spread.
“The biggest thing that I tend to worry about is the speed with which misinformation travels and the lack of control that a news organization — any news organization — has over that,” said Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of The Associated Press.
