Donald Trump, Kamala Harris' US election 2024 results to be impacted by fake news?

The misuse of the term "breaking news", typically deployed by media outlets to relay major news developments, is part of a persistent assault on reality across tech platforms that researchers say have relaxed their guardrails against false information in a crucial election year, as per a report on AFP.

It is yet another disinformation trend undermining trust in traditional media -- already at historic lows, surveys show -- alongside the proliferation of fake "news" sites and the growing tactic of attributing false information to legitimate media outlets.

Disinformation peddlers "commonly use terms like 'breaking' in an apparent attempt to convey legitimacy," Sam Howard, politics editor at the watchdog NewsGuard, told AFP.


"This tactic has had a conspicuous role in false US political narratives that have spread in 2024," Howard said.

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In a recent viral post to his 2.8 million followers on X, the former Twitter, right-wing influencer Benny Johnson wrote: "BREAKING: Univision accidentally broadcast proof that Kamala used a teleprompter at her town hall."

He posted a clip of Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential contender, at the event in Las Vegas, which briefly showed a teleprompter with words on it before it turned off.

AFP's fact-checkers debunked the false claim, which spread to other platforms such as Facebook and TikTok; the town hall host confirmed that the teleprompter had only displayed his introduction in Spanish.

RumorGuard's Evon said using journalism terms to crank out falsehoods was a popular tactic but relatively easy to spot and debunk despite the potential to go viral.

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"Remember to check your sources," he said. "Look for evidence and slow your scroll on social media to allow time for credible information to emerge," Evon said.

FAQs

Q1. When is US election 2024?
A1. US election 2024 polling day is on November 5.

Q2. Who are contesting in US elction 2024?
A2. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are contesting in the US election 2024.