Latest right-wing media disinformation campaign targets recall in California

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An emerging account pushed by top Fox News figures and others claims California Gov. Gavin Newsom will only win the recall due to voter fraud and the so-called ballot harvest, despite lack of credible evidence.

But Newsom’s main Republican challenger, right-wing radio host Larry Elder, also makes unsubstantiated allegations of potential fraud. “Larry Elder is building on this big lie,” LA Times columnist Jean Guerrero said on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” Sunday. “He understands that Californians are very likely to reject him as the next governor of California, and the only way he can explain this loss is by claiming it was stolen from him.”

“The fraud is presented as an excuse to explain any future Republican loss,” CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said on Sunday.

Elder has largely marketed his campaign exclusively through right-wing media and has refused interviews with journalists critical of his positions, Guerrero said. In doing so, Guerrero said Elder has been able to reach out to the minority of voters in the state who support his views.

In a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, nearly 60% of those polled said they would vote “no” on Newsom’s recall. Elder told CNN on Wednesday that “there could very well be some shenanigans” in the next election and said his campaign had lawyers ready to take legal action once the results were released.
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Allegations of voter fraud were a staple in right-wing media during and after the 2020 presidential election. Fox News had to broadcast coverage in February to refute fraudulent claims by network hosts after a legal threat from the network. from voting technology company Smartmatic.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, professor of public policy at UC Riverside, said this new tendency to view elections as fraudulent was not a healthy sign for democracy. California, unlike several other states, has made voting easier by expanding early voting and postal voting.

Ramakrishnan said Elder’s fraudulent claims could impact more people, including younger voters who see deceptive ads on platforms like Facebook.

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“People are frustrated with the pandemic, including the high unemployment rate, and want to make someone a scapegoat,” Ramakrishnan said.

The “symbiotic relationship” between right-wing media and right-wing politicians goes beyond California, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch told Reliable Sources. As states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin invest in electoral fraud investigations, they are giving reporters at these outlets more opportunities to cover false allegations.

“Of course, viewers are going to think there’s something about this,” Bunch said.

The combination of framing and persuasion with misleading information only became more prevalent due to the consolidation of local news reports and the increase in outlets acting as echo chambers for outlets. of particular view.

“It is becoming difficult to follow how this misinformation spreads and impacts the vote,” said Ramakrishnan.

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