Disinformation, Hyper-Partisan Media, and the Perils of Big Tech
This was originally published byPark Center for Independent Media
“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do, Dana [Bash],” Republican vice-presidential candidate and senator from OhioJ.D. Vanceexplained during a September 15 CNN appearance. Vance was responding to Bash’s questions about reports indicating that both he and Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed Haitian immigrants had flooded Springfield, Ohio, and were allegedly eating residents’pets.
After weeks of criticism about the dearth of evidence regarding the claim, Vance doubled down and invoked a relativist perspective of truth, arguing that the media needed to listen as Ohio “people speak their truth.” On some level, Vance’s admission might be commendable, as he is one of the few politicians to openly confess fabricating information. However, his statement also reveals that truth is not a priority for many in the political class, or their enablers in the hyper-partisan corporate news media and Big Tech social media platforms. As significant as Vance’s admission is, the false story and “sorry-not sorry” reaction to it are unfortunately typical in America’s hyper-partisan media landscape.
Fake news or disinformation refers to false, misleading, or baseless stories presented as legitimate journalism. While fake news can be harmless or even humorous, as seen in segments of shows likeThe Daily Show, once it is accepted as fact, it becomes extremely dangerous. Fake news can drive otherwise good people to commit terrible acts. For example,Ashley Babbittwas misled into believing she was defending democracy — a noble cause — when fake news convinced her that the 2020 election had been stolen. Babbitt illegally stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and lost her life. Had the story been true, Babbitt might have been hailed as a hero. Instead, she was tragically deceived into giving her life while attempting to overturn a legitimate election.
A similar pattern is unfolding in Springfield, where the racist trope of immigrants, specifically Haitians, as savages eating pets has incited some believers to retaliate with bomb threats targetingschoolsandhospitals. This has caused widespread trauma, confusion, and fear, leading to increased policing. Both thegovernor of Ohioandmayor of Springfieldhave pleaded with the Trump campaign to retract these claims. Meanwhile, aHaitian non-profit grouphas filed criminal charges against Trump and Vance for repeating the baseless claim. Their pleas are informed by the experiences of numerousHaitian immigrantsin Springfield who now fear leaving their homes due to the threats. One might think Trump would empathize with these concerns, especially considering that hyper-polarized rhetoric — much of which Trump has fueled since the 1990s — has led to acts of political violence, including two recent assassination attempts against him.
While some media outlets, particularly those aligned with the Democratic Party, have rightly denounced the false story, the same cannot be said for conservative news outlets. For instance,OANamplified the false claim the night before the debate, publishing a story titled “Report: Ohio Town Residents Claim Haitian Migrants Are ‘Decapitating and Eating Ducks in the Park.’” Similarly, after the September 2024 presidential debate, which saw Trump introduce the baseless story about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio,Fox News Channelseemed more focused on the politics of the situation than the veracity of the claim. Instead of debunking the claim outright, Fox News asked a focus group of potential voters how they felt about Trump’s statements regarding immigrants eating pets. Presenting clearly false stories as legitimate reports is a common practice in hyper-partisan media.
Let’s not forget that recently released text messages revealed Fox News knew the 2020 election was not stolen, but continued to host guests who claimed it was because their hyper-conservative audience wanted to believe it. In fact, such mendacity cost Fox a$787 million settlementin the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case. This outcome suggests that extravagant payouts for lying are somehow worth it to the corporate media. And let’s also recall the serial fabulist and former GOP CongressmanGeorge Santos: someone who should be a poster child for how normalization of such prevarication in politics is harmful to the public and to democracy, not a hero to emulate. Even he was eventually booted from Congress, yet such brazen lying among media elites and politicians, like Trump and Vance, persists.
Big Tech share some of the blame as well. While it should not be their responsibility to censor content, they havedesignedplatforms that, as researchers have shown, amplify false information and suppress the truth. One of the earlysocial media userswho spread the false claim about immigrants eating pets has since admitted that the story was a fabrication and has begged for forgiveness. She too acknowledges that the story spread much further and faster than she ever anticipated. Reflecting on how her post reached national prominence and caught the attention of a leading presidential candidate, she said, “It just exploded.”
As Jonathan Swift oncequippedin 1710, “falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.” With our vast commutations technology today, such sentiment is an understatement and illustrates why we must stand against the spread of false information as we hold accountable political opportunists who weaponize it. While Vance’s admission of falsehood might be commendable in one sense, it also underscores that truth is not a priority for him or the broader political class. This is equally true for their enablers in hyper-partisan corporate media and Big Tech. Unfortunately, as important as it may be that Vance said the quiet part out loud, such deceit and cynical reactions to it still occur daily in America’s hyper-partisan media landscape.
Bonus Video: Identity in Focus: Media Representations and the 2024 Presidential Election(10/9/2024)
In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, the media plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of identity, including race, gender, class, and ethnicity. This virtual panel features critical media literacy scholars and practitioners who will discuss how media representations of identity influence political narratives and voter behavior. The panelists will share insights into how media can reinforce stereotypes or challenge existing power structures and participants will learn strategies for critically engaging with media content. The panel will provide a deeper understanding of the intersection between media, identity, and politics in the context of a high-stakes election year.
Moderators:
NolanHigdon Lecturer, Merrill College (UCSC)
Kayson Tang, Undergraduate Class of Merrill College ’26 (UCSC)
Panelists:
Allison Butler, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Media Literacy Certificate Program in the Department of Communication (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Nicholas Baham, Professor of Ethnic Studies (California State University, East Bay)
Andy Lee Roth, Associate Director (Project Censored)
Steve Macek, Professor of Communication and Media Studies (North Central College)
Bonus Video: Navigating the Media Landscape: Critical Media Literacy in the 2024 Elections(10/2/2024)
As the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election approaches, the media landscape is more complex and influential than ever. This virtual panel brings together leading scholars and practitioners in critical media literacy to engage students and the public on the importance of analyzing, evaluating, and understanding the media’s role in shaping public perception and political discourse. The discussion will explore strategies for identifying bias, misinformation, and propaganda in news coverage while also empowering students and community members to become informed and active participants in democratic processes. Join us for an insightful conversation that will provide essential tools for navigating the media landscape during this pivotal election season.
Moderators:
Elizabeth Beaumont, Associate Professor of Politics and Legal Studies (UCSC)
Kayson Tang, Undergraduate Class of Merrill College ’26 (UCSC)
Panelists:
NolanHigdon, Lecturer, Merrill College (UCSC)
Jeff Share, Lecturer, School of Education and Information Studies (UCLA)
Roberto de Roock, Associate Professor of Learning Sciences and Technology (UCSC)
Daisy Martin, Founding Director of The History & Civics Project (UCSC)
NolanHigdonis a author, lecturer at Merrill College and the Education Department at University of California, Santa Cruz,Project CensoredNational Judge, and founding member of the Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas. Higdon’s areas of concentration include critical AI literacy, podcasting, digital culture, news media history & propaganda, and critical media literacy. All of Higdon’s work is available atSubstack(https://nolanhigdon.substack.
Mickey Huffis the third director of Project Censored (founded in 1976) and is the president of the nonprofit Media Freedom Foundation. Huff joined Ithaca College in New York fall of 2024, where he now also serves as the Distinguished Director of thePark Center for Independent Mediaand Professor of Journalism. Since 2009, he has coedited the annual volume of theCensoredbook series with associate directorAndy Lee Roth, published bySeven Stories Pressin New York, and since 2021 withThe Censored Press,the Project’s new publishing imprint. His most recent books include Project Censored’sState of the Free Press 2025, co-edited with Shealeigh Voitl and Andy Lee Roth (The Censored Press/Seven Stories Press, 2024);The Media and Me: A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People(co-authored with Project Censored and the Media Revolution Collective, The Censored Press/Triangle Square, 2022), as well asLet’s Agree to Disagree: A Critical Thinking Guide to Communication, Conflict Management, and Critical Media Literacy(Routledge, 2022) andUnited States of Distraction: Media Manipulation in Post-Truth America(and what we can do about it), published by City Lights Books, 2019, both co-authored withNolanHigdon.