On Tuesday, March 5, Republican and Democratic primary voters will head to the polls in what is known as “Super Tuesday.” Over one-third of each party’s delegates will be allocated based on the results in states from California to Virginia, Oklahoma to Minnesota.
Although the Democrats will likely select President Biden to run again in 2024, pundits will be gauging his party’s enthusiasm behind his second run. For Republicans, who will likely nominate former President Donald Trump, Super Tuesday will be a test of party unity – to see whether former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has any staying power in the race.
As we look towards Super Tuesday, the most important date on the primary calendar, voters need to stay informed about the candidates, campaigns, and issues, a task made ever more difficult in the era of misinformation and disinformation, information overload on social media, and now, generative AI.
To help understand the current landscape, we connected with AJ Brustein, VP, Head of Marketing at the news aggregator platform SmartNews.
“In 2016 and 2020, we witnessed the implications of technology particularly as it related to social media, with echo chambers spreading misinformation and disinformation. In 2024, our first election year with generative AI, we have already seen its impact on elections globally—even within the United States, as exemplified by the fake Biden robocall that was made to thousands of New Hampshire voters before the NH Democratic presidential primary,” said Brustein. “On Super Tuesday, we may well see further deep fake and disinformation tactics deployed at scale in the US to a level that wasn’t possible before generative AI. Before this year, misinformation and disinformation made it hard for average voters to discern fact from fiction. Now, generative AI will make that task more difficult.”
In speaking with Brustein, it appears that news aggregators present a potential solution to the challenges of our current news media environment – trustworthy places for people to get the information they need to make decisions that impact their lives and democracy at large.
“Many aggregators, including SmartNews, ensure they deliver trustworthy information through rigorous fact-checking and source verification. Additionally, news aggregators can help readers break out of their normal reading habits, exposing them to different perspectives – liberal and conservative, local and national – that can lead them to a more nuanced understanding of the issues and how they might impact their families,” Brustein said.
There are a range of trustworthy Android apps that voters can use to follow Super Tuesday and the rest of the 2024 election season. A few of my favorites are below. Given the importance – and difficulty – of staying engaged and getting accurate news this election season, it is a good idea to go beyond social media and explore some new options.
– SmartNews: A news aggregator that makes it easy to access the latest election news anytime, anywhere, and from all sides. For articles in the “Politics” tab, readers can access the “News From All Sides” feature to see how outlets with different partisan leanings cover the same topic.
– Ground News: For real news junkies who want to dissect their own reading habits, Ground News will show you your “news diet” in real time – the partisan lean of your consumption, the funders of the articles you read – so you can understand every issue in 360 degrees.
– Matter: For a small subscription, readers can pull all the newsletters, subscriptions, and free publisher content into one interface.
– AP News: For those who prefer to receive their news from one outlet rather than a news aggregator, the AP News app is a solid choice. The Associated Press is known for providing unbiased and accurate news, plus it has its own section for Election 2024 news and includes written, video, and audio content consumption options.
– ActiVote: This is not a news aggregation app, but if you’re interested in learning more about the political process and issues that matter most to you, ActiVote can help you review the different candidates and the legislation on which they vote.
These news and information aggregators will help voters get the fact-based information they need to make the right choice for them at the ballot box, both on Tuesday and in the general election in November. When the stakes could not be higher, it is essential that voters walk into the voting booth with trustworthy information.
