Mexico elections are a vital part of creating a political landscape in the country that is effective for the government, but also for the social and economic landscape.
The country has more than 130 million residents, and a democratic process is integral for electing effective leaders who can address Mexico’s individual challenges.
Some of those challenges include high poverty rates in many parts of the nation, corruption at many levels of leadership, and an effort for healthy foreign relations. Not just for electing leaders, Mexico relies on voters to voice their opinions and help set the nation on the right path.
However, like many countries around the world, Mexico fake news spread in mainstream media presents a challenge to an election process that occurs with integrity. Trust in the government is fragile, which makes fake news in Mexico an even bigger challenge as it contributes to feelings of mistrust among citizens. Fake polls and false information make elections much more complex, contributing to skewed voter behavior.
The definition of fake news is the act of spreading misleading information, usually with an intent to change public opinion and disrupt some kind of governmental process.
A fabricated poll (disinformation) is a report that is entirely fabricated, but is presented as being accurate and legitimate, then is released to the public. Both fake polls and the fake news Mexico is dealing with skew the political landscape, which is even more problematic when the fake news is spread via social media, disrupting trust in political figures and structures and skewing voter perceptions.
Fake news and fake polls are a big problem throughout Mexico, particularly during election years. One example occurred during the 2018 election when several fake news items made the rounds on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, each containing details about scandal or claims that were falsified or exaggerated.
A specific target was Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with phoney news reports falsely tying the candidate to a drugs cartel and undermining his campaign efforts.
Such disinformation spreads fear and doubt, which leads to altered perceptions and unfavorably influences voters who are undecided about which candidate they want to back.
The fake news Mexico sees and deals with daily also pertains to the rampant spread of made-up polls. Questionable organizations are behind the polls and they are used to skew data about a candidate, changing their public perception.
This sows confusion and doubt among voters and reduces the reliability of election results, which also translates to media coverage that is not trustworthy or accurate.
In a 2019 report issued by El Financiero, 60 percent of Mexican citizens have felt doubt about the legitimacy of polls during an election season. This increases the susceptibility to future fake news in Mexico and creates a continuing cycle that disrupts elections.
The fake news Mexico sees regularly has built an environment of fragile trust in the government, with continued fake news reports making the problem that much worse. Nearly 45 percent of Mexicans report feeling that most news on social media is false, according to research reported by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). That results in the risk of disinformation more easily influencing public opinion and interfering with an election.
One of the biggest disinformation issues that the fake news Mexico is dealing with presents is the threat to an election process that occurs with integrity. Because false information most certainly influences many people in Mexico, the perception of candidates may be skewed, as well as those of certain political parties and policies that are on the ballot that year.
Fake news also contributes to voter suppression, the concept that citizens will not vote because they are confused or disillusioned by the Mexico news coverage that may or may not be factual.
When voters are presented with contradictory news items or claims about candidates that can’t be verified, they may simply avoid casting their vote at all. At the same time, some of these false news items may portray a specific candidate as leading the election in a way that makes voting for the other candidate pointless. Not only does this reduce voter turnout, but it can dramatically skew the election results.
Another way that this fake news Mexico sees regularly is that it deepens the divide between government parties, exacerbating polarization in the country.
There’s a lot of conflict between the right and left-leaning sides in Mexico and fake news only makes it worse. False news reports painting candidates as believers in extreme policies or unethical behavior also make these divides worse, making it difficult for both sides to have constructive conversations. Rather than putting the focus on important political ideals and policies, the general public gets caught up in a cycle of misinformation that distracts them from the real issues at hand during an election.
Social media also contributes to the Mexico fake news issue because it’s often a platform for spreading propaganda and using disinformation and misinformation to mislead voters and target vulnerable populations who aren’t able to evaluate what they read and hear.
Because officials recognize the damage that the fake news in Mexico is causing, a variety of initiatives have been launched to counteract misinformation and that includes both governmental and non-governmental entities.
Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) has done a lot of work to combat fake news. By collaborating with fact checking groups, the INE works to debunk claims and ensure that voters have access to accurate information related to the election.
The Mexican government has also created laws that work to stop the spread of disinformation. The country has also used public awareness campaigns and hashtag initiatives to encourage voters to do their own fact checking and be sure they are reading accurate news before making a voting decision.
By working with national and global organizations, Mexico fake news can be reduced as it makes note of the problem being a global issue that all countries need to address. Mexico has worked with several entities to share best practices and put together strategies to monitor and refute fake news, especially during elections.
A few countries, like Mexico, use of the Osavul platform is a promising way in which the country is taking control of fake news. The program was created to recognize and mitigate misinformation and has become an essential tool for Mexico and the rest of the global South.
Osavul uses sophisticated technology to gather and analyze data, as well as to track disinformation and flag false news stories. With analysis of these patterns, Osavul can detect the presence of false information and alert stakeholders to swift action that can be taken to stop it from spreading.
The platform can go through vast amounts of data very quickly and efficiently, making it a valuable tool during elections. Not only does Osavul track and flag fake news, but it can also detect false polls and alert the relevant parties involved.
In short, Osavul allows Mexican citizens to make informed decisions during an election, based on the accurate information they receive, as well as the ability to pick out and ignore fake news.
Like many countries, the elections in Mexico are key factors in its democracy but are at risk of the damage caused by fake news and fake polls. Making the general public aware of the situation and providing them with tools for educating themselves before voting is imperative. Osavul can help and there’s no time like right now to implement the technology.
