We stand at a crucial moment in the history of our nation, where perception is weighed in greater measure than truth, and immense technological innovations of our time shape the outcome of a presidential election which can propel the nation to either prosperity or greater ruin.
The recent advancements of the internet have radically altered the way politics is executed, displacing traditional media as the main source of political information for people. No mass media technology could match the disruption and revolution that the internet, particularly social media, has brought—especially in its far-reaching effect and transformation in the capacity of citizens to engage in politics. They are no longer spectators to the performance of political actors. They have become active participants in the production and distribution of their own material as they form and share their opinions on social media.
This radical democratization of political discourse holds much promise in forming a more politically engaged electorate through their increased ability in opinion-giving and interactions with each other. This makes them likely to participate in nation-building through the exercise of their right to vote and think deeply about the state of the nation.
However, the freedom it offers endangers our democracy through its capacity to be effective avenues for disinformation. Disinformation can sway opinions and, in turn, largely influence our actions. This creates a compelling need to address the disinformation packaged in opinions through fact-checking to further encourage actions guided by fact-based opinions that promote the welfare of the nation and its people.
Journalist and recent Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa puts it best: “Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our world’s existential problems: climate, coronavirus, the battle for truth.”
Fact-checking and opinion-giving is no sure guarantee against those who ignore and deny the truth, but to continue without these efforts, we resign its integrity to those who wish to pervert it. We must continue to proclaim and hold the line for what was and what is to avert a calamitous what will.