Incivility and Distorted Content on Social Networking Sites

Credit: LA Johnson, NPR

Social media entrepreneurs design social networking sites with the intention of establishing robust, digital spaces where users can create or engage in content and interact with others. Although social media entrepreneurs intend for their social networking sites to cultivate online communities of interconnected users that practice ethical behavior, these digital platforms are infiltrated with incivility and distorted content.

The incivility and distorted content on social networking sites include trolling, online harassment and cyberbullying of individuals, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Consequently, social and political divisiveness increases and the threat to democracy becomes more pervasive in democratic societies.

Journalists who work at renowned news organizations are among individuals on social networking sites who are experiencing trolling, online harassment and cyberbullying. Online users, especially those that are anonymous, are usually uncivil toward journalists on social networking sites when they believe these media professionals are not fulfilling standard journalistic principles.

The purpose of journalism is to inform the masses objectively, accurately and fairly about current or past events. As a result, the public can make better decisions in the society they reside in. News organizations from the age of legacy media have a historical reputation for continuing the purpose of journalism through the field’s standard principles. Thus, well-known news organizations from the age of legacy media are becoming hybrid or completely digitized by using online platforms such as social networking sites to sustain their reputations.

In addition to news organizations from the age of legacy media joining social networking sites, most of these institutions require their journalists to have accounts. Journalists are required to be present on social networking sites for reporting in real-time, sharing their work, promoting the work of their colleagues and updating the public about their news organizations.

Some online users become upset when these journalists, especially media professionals who are women or people of color, report stories that challenge their social or political values. Online users also get angry at journalists who share different opinions from them on controversial topics. This anger causes online users to become uncivil online by sending journalists direct messages and writing comments on their posts that are offensive, including racist and sexist remarks or death threats. Unfortunately, these journalists are not protected by their news organizations.

Besides trolling, harassing and bullying journalists on social networking sites, online users are also contributing to the spread of misinformation and disinformation on these digital platforms. Misinformation is false messaging that people share with others without the intention of misleading them. Meanwhile, people disseminate disinformation to mislead the public.

Online users often spread misinformation when they post or reshare copy, news articles, videos or images that convey inaccurate information about social or political topics such as COVID-19, #BlackLivesMatter and the 2020 presidential election. Although online users do not intend to mislead the public when disseminating misinformation, they do share this information to influence attitudes and behaviors about these topics.

Most online users that share disinformation spread this inaccurate messaging for propaganda. For instance, some online users post deepfakes, synthetic visuals that appear real, about politics to shape public opinion in a manner that aligns with their political ideology. One example is the 2023 deepfake video of U.S. President Joe Biden saying he has dementia. The video, which supported claims that Biden is not mentally suitable for the presidency, gained attention on social networking sites.

Even though some people who saw the video did not know it was synthetic, many individuals noticed it was a deepfake. Consequently, the video, like other deepfakes, is causing people to not trust news on social networking sites. This poses a challenge to news organizations and journalists that use social networking sites to report stories that reflect standard journalistic principles.

Although incivility and distorted content infiltrate social networking sites, these issues can be reduced through changes in leadership and accountability. For instance, most renowned news organizations are currently managed by white men who do not have to worry about falling victim to uncivil behavior online, which disproportionately affects journalists who are women or people of color. Therefore, having more women and people of color in managerial positions at media institutions will result in these organizations prioritizing policies that protect their staff on social networking sites.

Furthermore, the spread of misinformation and disinformation can decrease online if social media entrepreneurs hold themselves accountable for this issue. These entrepreneurs can become accountable by creating more effective features within the interfaces of social networking sites that warn users about content that is inaccurate to prevent them from engaging in it.