Voter Registration Tool targeted by Conspiracy Theorists
Ask students: Who played a large role in spreading anti-ERIC information and encouraging the public to lobby against ERIC?
A national tool called the Electronic Registration Information Center helps states verify voter registrations, but a conspiracy theory spread online has inspired many state lawmakers to withdraw from the program. NPR’s Miles Parks speaks with Amna Nawaz about the potential damage to election safety.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
Discussion Questions
- When did Louisiana withdraw from ERIC?
- According to journalist Miles Parks, why have local integrity groups popped up all over the country in recent years?
- According to Parks, what false claims did far-right website Gateway Pundit make against ERIC?
- Who played a large role in spreading anti-ERIC information and encouraging the public to lobby against ERIC?
- According to Parks, what is the impact of states withdrawing from ERIC?
Focus Questions
What are some of the ways that media can be used to spread misinformation? How can we be more discerning consumers and use the media to learn more accurate information?
Media Literacy: Why do you think this piece focuses so much on specific groups or individuals that spread misinformation?
Extension Activity
What are some examples of misinformation that you’ve encountered? Find a particular statistic or news story and look into specific claims to investigate their validity. Not everything is as it seems! To learn more about navigating media and building your media literacy skills, explore our media literacy lesson plans and check out the collection of resources below.
Addressing Threats to Democracy
Using the challenges to democracy in recent years as a teachable moment, we created resources to help students reflect on threats to democratic principles and explore topics such as media literacy, civil discourse, voter suppression, and misinformation.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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