October 2024.
As part of the program Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: Exposing Malign Influences through Watchdog Journalism”, we present you a new monthly analyses of fake news and disinformation narratives.
Analysis of the Narrative: U.S. Presidential Elections 2024: Media Bias and Social Divisions in America
The U.S. presidential election was one of the most significant topics of 2024. From the very start of the campaigns, the event became a subject of widespread disinformation and biased reporting, coming both from politicians and candidates as well as the media. After a turbulent summer marked by an assassination attempt and the withdrawal of incumbent President Joseph Biden from the race, the entire world closely followed the final month of the campaigns of Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
The media in Serbia often portrayed the elections in sensationalist ways. Politika reported on Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s appearance on Happy TV, during which he described the elections as “the most important elections in the history of humanity” and stated that they would either “bring peace or extend the war that could lead us to World War III.”
Sensationalism is highly prevalent on portals such as Alo!, Srbin.info, and especially Informer. The portal Alo! published an article claiming that it is possible for the U.S. military to overturn the election results, with the statement, “Trump’s radicalization of supporters, as well as the recruitment of ‘haters’ ready for confrontation, further increases concerns about military intervention.” The article’s headline itself reads: “MILITARY COUP IN AMERICA?”.
Informer frequently published articles that portrayed the current Democratic president, Biden, in a negative light or praised Trump. Most of these articles covered relatively insignificant events concerning the elections but were presented with extreme dramatization as though they were of great importance. Some examples of these exaggerated headlines include: “What did you say, Joe?! Biden destroyed Kamala in the campaign finale! He shouldn’t have said this, Trump was eagerly waiting…;” “BOMB! Biden and Obama secretly recorded trashing Kamala! The whole of America is sharing the recording, and now everything is much clearer!;” “Hit! Trump set all networks on fire! With this move, he wiped the floor with Kamala and her crew: Biden received a direct response to his disgraceful insults!”.
B92 shared an analysis by diplomat Zoran Milivojević regarding the elections and their impact on Serbian-American relations. While Milivojević expressed belief in improved relations with the United States in the event of Trump’s victory, B92 summarized this conclusion in a brief and direct headline: “Serbs, Trump Is Better for You.”
Media bias in favor of the Republican candidate is also evident in the reporting of significant topics in this year’s elections. Srbin.info covered a story about criminal activity by a Venezuelan gang in the southern United States. The article attributed this to the “Biden-Harris open southern border policy.” Migration was one of the key issues during the elections, with Republicans advocating for stricter border controls. For this reason, the article can be classified as pro-Republican, concluding with the statement: “This is shocking… the situation will only get worse.” Additionally, the article’s sensationalism is heightened by its headline: “War Has Already Begun in America.”
In addition to migration, foreign policy was also a significant topic. One of the common tactics in the Republican campaign was criticizing the then-administration’s handling of global conflicts. Trump frequently stated that, as the newly elected president, he would end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Informer reported one such statement, accompanied by a claim that the “end of humanity” was approaching. Notably, in the context of Trump’s remarks about the Democrats’ poor foreign policy, the article mentioned the beginning of a “massacre.”
Russian media and an attempt to influence the election
One of the key phenomena during this year’s elections has been the increasing animosity between Democratic and Republican voters. The legal actions against Trump, two assassination attempts, and the spread of conspiracy theories have only added fuel to the fire. One of the best examples of the danger posed by conspiracy theories is the claim of election fraud in 2020.
The biggest promoters of this claim were then-President Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Their insistence that Biden was not the legitimately elected president culminated in the attack on the Capitol, the U.S. Congress building, with the aim of preventing the official certification of the election results.
The Capitol attack was the violent culmination of the spread of conspiracy theories. During this year’s elections, there was significant fear that such violence might be repeated. Adversaries of the United States have exploited this vulnerability, often portraying the possibility of violence in foreign media as a potential civil war. Russia is the most prominent example of a state whose media promotes the narrative of social issues in the United States.
Russia’s foreign interference in U.S. election processes has been quite noticeable, both in previous years and now. In the case of Russia, two goals of interference stand out. The first goal of this interference is to deepen the already existing social polarization, which weakens the United States. The media achieve this by spreading conspiracy theories, extremist views, and the aforementioned false narratives about an impending civil war.
Russian media outlets, such as Russia Today (RT), reported on the results of a survey based on a sample of 1,266 respondents in the United States, with 27% of them believing that a civil war is imminent. In a later article, RT reiterated the findings of the survey, adding further reasons why civil war is seen as likely. The article claims that America is “heading towards either elections or a new civil war,” criticizes Kamala Harris for supporting the “neo-Nazi junta in Kyiv, which threatens to trigger a nuclear war with the largest nuclear power—Russia”, and concludes with the sentence, “In a situation where no one listens to anyone, in a society that is increasingly polarized, perhaps the only realistic option is a new civil war that will decide the path America should take.” Additionally, Sputnik reported a statement from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who said that “the world could witness a civil war in the United States.”
The second goal of Russia’s interference is to influence the outcome of the election itself. Donald Trump is a candidate who is less supportive of Ukraine and not particularly inclined to strengthen NATO’s role in the world. Given this, Russia’s interest lies in a Trump victory, primarily due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As a result, Russian media frequently target Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Additionally, Russia seeks to undermine faith in democracy and the electoral process by creating an atmosphere where people believe that an external enemy could decide who becomes the next president.
RT published an article mocking Kamala Harris’ laugh, primarily focusing on her speaking abilities and candidacy. One paragraph suggests that Harris’ “giggling” might be a cover for her “insecurities and incompetence,” with some users questioning “how anyone could seriously elect her for any position, let alone as Commander-in-Chief.” In another article, RT discusses a supposed rift between Harris and Biden. It mentions that in 2019, Harris accused Biden of racism and highlights significant animosity between Harris and First Lady Jill Biden after Biden’s withdrawal from the race, referring to it as a “coup,” with the implied goal of sabotaging Harris.
Along with such news, an image of weakness and instability within the Democratic Party is created, while issues in Trump’s campaign are less frequently mentioned. Instead, RT has reported positive comments from officials about Trump. Examples include Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stating that it would be better for Hungary if Trump won, as well as statements from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, titled “Medvedev praises Trump,” regarding Trump’s alleged acknowledgment that Zelensky is responsible for the war in Ukraine.
In local media, sensationalism, dramatic headlines, and bias in favor of Republican candidate Donald Trump emerged as key elements of media coverage during the U.S. presidential election. Russian media followed a relatively similar pattern, but with more emphasis on social divisions and the potential for civil war, primarily for malign reasons. The final election results showed that Donald Trump achieved a significant victory with 312 electoral votes, winning all of the swing states.
Author: Aleksandar Jakovljević
