Prebunking?

Some disinformation can be readily refuted in advance — deliberately false claims, for example, about polling places, voting dates and registration requirements. This refutation can be accomplished through “prebunking” (another recent coinage) which studies indicate is far more effective than debunking, which is done, obviously, after the fact. Or, in this case, after the falsehood.

Prebunking is a proactive strategy. It attempts to inoculate people against false content, “much like how a vaccine helps inoculate people against disease,” according to the Institute for Public Relations report. (Yeah, we know: There has been a lot of disinformation about vaccines lately, but the point is still taken.)

So how can you prebunk?

Among other suggestions, the Institute for Public Relations offers these recommendations:

• “Share clear and factual information before the election and continue throughout the election cycle.” Use trusted sources — local officials, business leaders and members of the military services — to provide this information.
• “Provide explicit details of the type of [disinformation that employees might encounter] and use non-pressuring language” when conveying reliable information.
• “Train and equip your audience with the skills and tools to evaluate and verify election information critically.” This can be accomplished by providing media and information literacy training, which should help audiences recognize the kinds of tactics that bad actors use to spread disinformation.

You can also direct your people to nonpartisan sources where accurate information can be obtained, such as USA.gov, Vote.org and Factcheck.org. And always be sure to adopt a nonpartisan viewpoint. Partisanship can lead to “reduced levels of psychological safety among workers who identify with a different political party,” according to the American Psychological Association. Failure to be nonpartisan “can adversely affect engagement, innovation, productivity, and retention.”

Beyond Election Day

Disinformation is a “chronic historical phenomenon with deep roots in complex social, political, and economic structures,” the Carnegie scholars note, and we can expect no quick fixes. As organizations — remembering Brandolini’s Law — take specific prebunking measures, they can also look toward more long-term responses, such as helping revive local journalism and improving media literacy generally. Just don’t expect results by the second Tuesday in November.