The Role of Fake News in Elections and Social Disintegration: The 2016 to 2024 US Presidential Elections

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the rise of fake news on and its effects on populism in US Presidential elections. The approach intends to shed light onto how neo-propaganda, potentially attempts to influence electoral results and create social and cultural division. The emphasis in on how the propagation of fake news marked the American political discourse, especially during the 2016 presidential election. The “weaponization” of social media for partisan polarization and social division was unprecedented as the digital structure of social media helps to accelerate this phenomenon, impacting confidence in the political narrative and in traditional media. The chapter sheds light on the influence of fake news on voter behaviour and increased political polarization, using empirical and content analysis of media reports and academic focusing on the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections. It concludes by looking into the potential long-term effects on American society, including the whittling down of democratic values, and the importance of media literacy and regulatory intervention in misinformation.