The latest disinformation campaign of the right-wing media is aimed at the memory of California

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An emerging narrative driven by top Fox News and other personalities claims that California Gov. Gavin Newsom will only win the withdrawal due to election fraud and so-called vote-gathering, despite the lack of credible evidence. .

But Newsom’s main Republican challenger, right-wing talk show host Larry Elder, also makes claims with no evidence of possible fraud. “Larry Elder is confident in this big lie,” LA Times columnist Jean Guerrero told CNN’s “Reliable Sources.” “He understands that it is very likely that Californians will reject him as the next governor of California and the only way to explain this loss is by claiming that he was robbed.”

“Fraud presents itself as an excuse to explain any future Republican loss,” CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said Sunday.

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

In a recent poll by the California Institute of Public Policy, nearly 60% of respondents said they would vote “no” when recalling Newsom. Elder told CNN on Wednesday that “there could very well be messes” in the next election and said his campaign has lawyers willing to file lawsuits when the results come out.
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Allegations of election fraud were a staple in the right-wing media during and after the 2020 presidential election. Fox News had to cover by air in February dismissing fraudulent claims by network hosts after a legal threat from voting technology company Smartmatic.
Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy at UC Riverside, said that this emerging pattern of election cancellation as fraudulent is not a healthy sign for democracy. California, unlike several states, has facilitated voting by extending early voting and email voting.

Ramakrishnan said Elder’s fraudulent claims could affect more people, including younger voters who see misleading advertising on platforms like Facebook.

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“People are frustrated with the pandemic, including high unemployment, and want to be no scapegoat,” Ramakrishnan said.

The “symbiotic relationship” between right-wing media and right-wing politicians goes beyond California, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch said of reliable sources. Because states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are investing in election fraud investigations, they give journalists at these outlets more opportunities to cover up false claims.

“Of course, viewers will think there’s something,” Bunch said.

The combination of framing and persuasion with misleading information has only become widespread due to the consolidation of local surveillance news reports and the increase in outlets that act as echo chambers for points. of particular views.

“It becomes difficult to track how this misinformation spreads and has an impact when it comes to voting,” Ramakrishnan said.

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