FOR RELEASE: June 20, 2024

Contact: Richard T. Kaplar
The Media Institute
703-506-8030

Vienna, Va., June 20, 2024 – A paper released by The Media Institute’s initiative “The Madison Project: Free Speech and Press in American Democracy” looks at the threat misinformation poses to democracy and the importance of giving consumers tools for understanding media content.

“Misinformation and the Threat to Our Democracy” is authored by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez.  She notes that concern about dis- and misinformation is one of the top media issues raised to her as a commissioner.  But she is quick to stress that the Federal Communications Commission is not in the business of regulating content.  “Our democracy needs a press free from interference from regulators like myself,” she emphasizes.

Artificial intelligence (AI), with its deepfakes and voice cloning, has made discerning misinformation more difficult than ever.  Comm. Gomez cites a recent incident in which voice cloning was used to impersonate President Joe Biden in an attempt to influence a federal election primary.  “This is serious.  Misinformation in this form poses a threat to our democracy,” she warns.

With regulatory options limited, answers may lie in tools like water marking (which labels content generated or altered by AI); a layer of “digital provenance” (which traces the history of alterations to content); and media literacy education.  “Productive engagement requires knowledge,” Comm. Gomez says.

“At the end of the day, real discernment skills should transcend the type of media being consumed.  People should be able to carry these skills and tools that they acquire as they continue to navigate the changing media landscape,” she notes.

“Misinformation and the Threat to Our Democracy” is the first paper in a new Madison Project series titled “Conversations of Note.”  It is available online at https://www.mediainstitute.org/the-madison-project/.

The Madison Project is underwritten by foundations, corporations, and others with an interest in media and communications, the First Amendment, and the preservation of American democracy.  Initial support has been provided by Verizon, LG Electronics, and Wiley Rein LLP.  For more information about underwriting opportunities, contact Richard T. Kaplar at kaplar@mediainstitute.org.

The Media Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization specializing in communications policy and the First Amendment. Visit the Institute at www.mediainstitute.org.

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