Filed under: Specialty,Classics,Videos
Continue reading Get swept up in hearse culture at HearseCon | Car Club USA
Get swept up in hearse culture at HearseCon | Car Club USA originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Toyota,Automotive History,Minivan/Van
Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1987 Toyota Van, Rat Patrol Edition
Junkyard Gem: 1987 Toyota Van, Rat Patrol Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 13:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Dodge,Coupe,Performance
Continue reading Happy Halloween, cats and kittens!
Happy Halloween, cats and kittens! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Coupe,Performance,Supercars
Continue reading SSC will retry Tuatara top-speed record after doubts over initial attempt
SSC will retry Tuatara top-speed record after doubts over initial attempt originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 10:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Etc.,Specialty,Classics
Continue reading Happy Halloween: Revisit the Hearse Fest in Hell, Michigan
Happy Halloween: Revisit the Hearse Fest in Hell, Michigan originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Mercedes-Benz,Tesla,Safety,Technology,Emerging Technologies,Autonomous
As Tesla touts the cutting-edge nature of its new Full Self Driving software, rival Mercedes-Benz says it has developed a similar system but stops short of allowing members of the public to take it on urban roads. The Germans, pioneers in developing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), are taking a step-by-step approach to releasing new technology, waiting for their own engineers, rather than the general public, to validate their system. Advanced driver assistance systems can pr
Continue reading Mercedes bets on evolution as Tesla touts revolution in automated driving
Mercedes bets on evolution as Tesla touts revolution in automated driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Ford,Coupe,Performance
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R Quick Spin | Autoblog's favorite carriage turns into a pumpkin originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2020 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Safety,Technology,Autonomous
Self-driving tech company Waymo, which this month opened its driverless taxi service in the Phoenix suburbs to the public, on Friday said its autonomous vehicles there had been involved in 18 minor incidents since 2019 during tests and actual rides. Waymo, a unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc , said it was releasing the data https://ift.tt/3jH6v7P to improve transparency and open a public dialogue. Waymo also said it hopes its safety data will help companies and regulators devise in
Continue reading Waymo releases Phoenix area self-driving car incident score card
Waymo releases Phoenix area self-driving car incident score card originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Commerce
Continue reading Gaming Roundup | Playstation 5 loses a launch title but gains a better one
Gaming Roundup | Playstation 5 loses a launch title but gains a better one originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Auto News,Earnings/Financials,Green,Fisker,Green Automakers
Fisker Inc, which is going public through a merger with a so-called blank check company, said on Thursday auto supplier Magna International Inc will supply the vehicle platform and build the electric carmaker's Ocean SUV. As part of the deal, Magna will receive warrants to purchase a stake of up to 6% in Fisker, giving the EV maker an overall valuation of about $3 billion, Fisker Chief Executive Henrik Fisker told Reuters. Fisker, which is merging with Spartan Energy Acquisition Corp <
Continue reading Fisker officially goes public, on track for 2022 production
Fisker officially goes public, on track for 2022 production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Is the Ford Model T plant haunted?
Is the Ford Model T plant haunted? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Continue reading Ford confirms 2021 F-150 will be offered with hands-free driving technology
Ford confirms 2021 F-150 will be offered with hands-free driving technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Auto News,Plants/Manufacturing
Continue reading Detroit's Packard plant slated for partial demolition, redevelopment
Detroit's Packard plant slated for partial demolition, redevelopment originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 12:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Auto News,Plants/Manufacturing
14 days on the road, in an RV, with your friends, sounds like the perfect cure for the quarantine blues originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Video,Aftermarket,Dodge,Performance,Classics
Continue reading Listen to SpeedKore's Hellephant-swapped 1970 Dodge Charger scream on a dyno
Listen to SpeedKore's Hellephant-swapped 1970 Dodge Charger scream on a dyno originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 11:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOFF THE TOP
You might have heard: Machine learning offers possibilities for journalists (Columbia Journalism Review)
But did you know: ‘Smart paywalls’ use machine learning to find the right moment to ask a reader to subscribe (Nieman Lab)
At the Brown Institute for Media Innovation’s Local News Lab, a team of journalists, engineers, data scientists and designers are developing “smart paywalls” for small and medium-sized local newsrooms. The idea is to shift when a reader hits a metered paywall depending on their reading habits, to find the optimal time to offer them a subscription option. That could mean estimating a reader’s likelihood to subscribe based on browser history and other known information, or it may mean putting certain stories behind a paywall that are particularly interesting. The lab plans to open-source the code so that other newsrooms can replicate the model.
+ Noted: Los Angeles Times introduces the Latinx Files, a newsletter dedicated to the American Latinx experience (Los Angeles Times); Spending on Maine’s Senate contest has increased the Bangor Daily News’ revenue from political ads by 3000% (Buzzfeed News)
API UPDATE
In this week’s edition of ‘Factually’
Turning human error into election ‘fraud’, disinformation about Hunter Biden and Alex Jones meets Joe Rogan. Factually is a weekly newsletter produced by API and the Poynter Institute that covers fact-checking and misinformation.
TRY THIS AT HOME
Three ways The Baltimore Sun used systems thinking to deepen their reporting on child support (Journalism + Design)
Before the pandemic, Baltimore Sun reporter Yvonne Wenger spent nine months putting together a series of stories about how the city’s child support system further hurts families, with a focus on noncustodial parents, normally fathers. To help, the Journalism + Design team at The New School led Wenger through a series of systems thinking tools that helped guide the reporting. The first was to identify key stakeholders and their needs, which helped focus the reporting on the people most affected and expand the pool of potential sources and perspectives. This information then led to a map of the policies and other forces that were contributing to how the child support system functioned. The final step was creating visualizations of various elements of the story and how they related to each other, allowing patterns to emerge.
+ In a note to readers, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s editor explains the paper’s commitment to fact-based, non-partisan election coverage (The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel); Free Press has developed a database of resources to help journalists keep communities informed and safe during the volatile weeks ahead (Free Press); Newsletter launches application that pushes daily updates on Slack (Anti-Racism Daily)
OFFSHORE
French-speaking journalists in Washington launch a podcast to bring U.S. news to a global audience (International Journalists’ Network)
When Francophone journalists from around the world who work in Washington, D.C., first launched a podcast, Washington D’ici, the goal was to keep a global audience abreast of American politics. One of the unexpected joys has been the exchange of cultures, such as European listeners learning that the Quebecois word for podcast is “balado.” The five hosts, who hail from Switzerland, France, Belgium and Canada, have found time to record every other week for the past year, and have increased their recording schedule to weekly in the run-up to the U.S. election. The podcast is committed to running through the inauguration in January.
+ BBC issues staff new social media guidance (BBC News)
OFFBEAT
A COVID-19 vaccine is coming. Will public health messaging be enough to convince Americans to get it? (Undark)
With a vaccine for COVID-19 on the horizon, public health officials are now working to ensure that when a vaccine becomes available, Americans will agree to receive it. Learning from vaccines that did not see widespread adoption initially, such as the HPV vaccine, the CDC has announced a plan to build confidence in the vaccination program, including a widespread communication campaign featuring partners and collaborators across the media. But experts are worried that traditional “fact-based” messaging may no longer work, especially in the face of anti-vaccination ideas that have proliferated online. One key to convincing Americans of the vaccine’s safety will be transparency at every level of production and distribution.
+ Google News Initiative releases its 2020 impact report (Google News Initiative)
UP FOR DEBATE
Glenn Greenwald quits The Intercept over what he claims is ‘repression, censorship’ (Substack, Greenwald)
Glenn Greenwald, a controversial journalist and co-founder of The Intercept, announced that he is leaving the outlet after he says a piece he wrote was “censored” when he refused to remove all criticisms of Joe Biden. He also claims that he was forbidden from publishing this article, which he says “raised critical questions about Biden’s conduct,” at another outlet. (He has published it on his own. ) Greenwald will now write on a personal Substack newsletter, which he says will free him from “the increasingly repressive climate that is engulfing national mainstream media outlets.”
+ Related: In response to the resignation, The Intercept writes that Greenwald’s post is “teeming with distortions and inaccuracies” and that the site’s only goals in editing his piece were to ensure accuracy and fairness. Reactions online were split, with journalist Lara Logan and Green party candidate Jill Stein supporting Greenwald, while many journalists found the concerns of Greenwald’s editors valid.
SHAREABLE
‘Infomemes’ offer quick Election Day facts, tips on building civil conversations (Facebook, ASU News Co/Lab)
The Arizona State University News Co/Lab and Spaceship Media have created a series of “infomemes” with facts about the election and related issues. The images and gifs cover both national and local election issues, and they’re intended to quickly and concisely answer readers’ most pressing questions about voting rules and laws. Other memes focus on building civil conversation online by encouraging people to honestly engage with people who disagree with them.
FOR THE WEEKEND
+ The 19th*’s editor-at-large, Errin Haines, talks about newsroom diversity, LGBTQ issues, and Breonna Taylor’s killing (Nieman Reports)
+ News deserts are democracy deserts, too (Democracy Works, The McCourtney Institute for Democracy)
+ The Journalism Creators Program at CUNY teaches participants to launch their own news products, from wherever they are (Nieman Lab)
+ Reporters of color are declaring independence (Washington Monthly)
+ Examples of collaboration between ethnic media and mainstream media in California in California’s diverse journalism ecosystem (California Health Care Foundation)
The post Need to Know: October 30, 2020 appeared first on American Press Institute.
Filed under: Volkswagen,Hatchback,Performance
Continue reading VW releases Golf R teaser showing rear hatch days before full reveal
VW releases Golf R teaser showing rear hatch days before full reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Subaru,Long-Term Garage,New Car Reviews,Technology,Infotainment,Crossover,Driveway Tests
Continue reading Subaru Infotainment Review | Testing tech in our long-term Forester
Subaru Infotainment Review | Testing tech in our long-term Forester originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos,Ferrari,Crossover,SUV,Luxury,Performance
Continue reading Ferrari Purosangue test mule spied running about Europe
Ferrari Purosangue test mule spied running about Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Aftermarket,Green,Humor,Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,GM,Automotive History,Electric,Classics
Continue reading We really want to use an eCrate to restomod an old GM car. Here's what we'd build
We really want to use an eCrate to restomod an old GM car. Here's what we'd build originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Coupe,Electric,Luxury,Performance,Supercars
Continue reading Watch as the $2 million Rimac C_Two drives straight into a wall
Watch as the $2 million Rimac C_Two drives straight into a wall originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Reviews,Volkswagen,Buying Guide,Crossover
Continue reading 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Review | Think big
2021 Volkswagen Atlas Review | Think big originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Recalls,Electric,Luxury,sedan,Polestar
Electric vehicle maker Polestar, owned by Volvo Cars and its parent China's Geely, is recalling its new Polestar 2 cars for the second time in a month, it said on Thursday. The company, which made its last recall on Oct. 2 after several cars had lost power and stopped running, is recalling close to 4,600 vehicles due to a faulty component. "Polestar has initiated a voluntary safety recall and a service campaign that contains a number of updates for Polestar 2 vehicles," the firm said in statem
Continue reading 2021 Polestar 2 sedans recalled for a second time this month
2021 Polestar 2 sedans recalled for a second time this month originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Podcasts,Aston Martin,BMW,GMC,Honda,Mercedes-Benz,Tesla,Toyota,Volvo,Coupe,Crossover,Minivan/Van,SUV,Electric,Hydrogen,Luxury,Performance,sedan
Plus GMC Hummer EV vs. Tesla Cybertruck, Yakima Exo and Mercedes-Benz's stake in Aston Martin
Driving the BMW M2 Competition, Honda Odyssey and Toyota RAV4 Prime | Autoblog Podcast #651 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2020 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Lexus,Coupe,Performance
Continue reading Lexus LC 500 Aviation adds some aeronautic flair for 70 lucky owners (in Japan)
Lexus LC 500 Aviation adds some aeronautic flair for 70 lucky owners (in Japan) originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Government/Legal,Nissan,Renault
Continue reading US approves extradition of Americans accused of arranging Carlos Ghosn's escape
US approves extradition of Americans accused of arranging Carlos Ghosn's escape originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Aftermarket,Green,Chevrolet,Technology,SUV,Electric,Classics
Chevy K5 Blazer-E project lead gives us more details on the electric Connect and Cruise eCrate originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Rumormill,Chevrolet,GM,Military
Continue reading GM VP alludes to a new Chevy Suburban HD
GM VP alludes to a new Chevy Suburban HD originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Videos,Original Video
We're playing F1 2019 today.
Continue reading Autoblog is Live: Playing Rocket League
Autoblog is Live: Playing Rocket League originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Mercedes-Benz,Convertible,Luxury,Classics
Continue reading Two never-titled 2001 and 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL roadsters for sale
Two never-titled 2001 and 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL roadsters for sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 12:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Auto News,Rumormill,Spy Photos,Porsche,Coupe,Future,Performance
Continue reading Spy photos show Porsche 911 Turbo ducktail prototype at the 'ring
Spy photos show Porsche 911 Turbo ducktail prototype at the 'ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Motorsports,Autonomous,Electric,Racing,Videos
It's clear robotic racing has some bugs to sort out as a Roborace participant's AI car drove directly into a wall.
Continue reading Watch a self-driving Roborace car drive directly into a wall
Watch a self-driving Roborace car drive directly into a wall originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 11:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Green,Marketing/Advertising,Diesel,Electric,Hybrid
Continue reading Electrified car registrations overtake diesel in Europe for the first time
Electrified car registrations overtake diesel in Europe for the first time originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Oct 2020 11:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsOFF THE TOP
You might have heard: No more than half of U.S. adults have confidence in journalists to act in the best interests of the public (Pew Research Center)
But did you know: Another study finds that Americans blame unfair news coverage on media outlets, not the journalists who work for them (Pew Research Center)
A stunning 8-in-ten Americans (79%) say news organizations tend to favor one side when reporting on social and political issues, with even 69% of Democrats — who are much less likely than Republicans to complain that news coverage is unfair — saying news outlets lean to one side. However, a Pew Research Center survey shows that roughly eight-in-ten (83%) of Americans blame news outlets as a whole, rather than individual journalists. Just 16% say the journalists are to blame for unfair coverage. The most common reason cited for unfair coverage was that news organizations have a political agenda; however, 20% of respondents (making up both Democrats and Republicans) cited financial interests as the reason.
+ Noted: City Pages is closing, ending the era of alternative weeklies in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis Star Tribune); Applications are now open for Poynter’s 2021 Leadership Academy for Women in Media — which, at this point, is scheduled to happen in person in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Poynter)
API RESOURCES
Local news sustainability: API advisers highlight three paths forward
Thanks to a 2017-19 grant from the Knight Foundation, API has sent advisers into 23 U.S.-based newsrooms to support their efforts to reach or maintain long-term sustainability. We’ve highlighted three outlets — a large metro daily, a hyperlocal community newspaper and a digital startup — whose challenges are typical of many media organizations. The steps they’ve taken toward sustainability include creating a newsletter aimed at driving digital subscriptions, reaching new audiences through social media, and introducing key listening and engagement strategies into their work.
TRY THIS AT HOME
How Bloomberg is breaking down barriers between its ads and subscribers businesses (Digiday)
Bloomberg’s ad team has started using an in-house A/B testing tool used by the subscriptions team to optimize its products and campaigns. Meanwhile, the subscriptions team is using the ad team’s data on audience segments to market to potential subscribers. The data-swapping follows a reorganization of the company that brings the two departments under chief product officer and global head of digital Julia Beizer. The ad team had previously operated out of Bloomberg’s sales group. Bringing subscriptions and advertising together is going to become more common among publishers, writes Max Willens, as they continue diversifying revenue and learn to evaluate things like the lifetime value of a digital subscription.
+ How the Chattanooga Times Free Press explains to readers why we may not know results on election night and where it gets information on vote tallies (Chattanooga Times Free Press); Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editor George Stanley explains “what we do to ensure our election coverage is fair, accurate, honest and thorough” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
OFFSHORE
News organizations around the world planning to downsize office space (Reuters Institute)
A new report from the Reuters Institute found that nearly half — 48% — of newsroom leaders from around the world say their companies are planning to downsize their physical premises. An accelerated shift to hybrid newsrooms — with some staff in the office, some working from home, and some on the go — is likely to be a lasting legacy of the coronavirus crisis, authors write. Over half of respondents — 58% — seemed open to the shift, saying they’d like to go back to the office a bit less often than before the pandemic, and 21% said they’d like to go back much less often. One quarter said they’d like to go back as often as before.
OFFBEAT
An examination of the ‘sleeping giant’ metaphor shows how voting patterns are linked to information needs (Texas Monthly)
In in-depth conversations with Latino voters and nonvoters across Texas, researchers found that voting behavior is related to the news and information they consume. Many nonvoters said they felt they had little agency over their own lives — that financial stress and hardship left them little time to suss out how politicians and their policies impacted them. One man, who said he frequently consumes news via CNN and The New York Times, told researchers that he wasn’t sure how his vote would change the challenges he’s experienced around education and healthcare. “I would love to see why our vote matters,” he said. “I want to see a presentation — I want to sit down and I want them to convince me, why is it great to vote?”
UP FOR DEBATE
New York Times’ handling of ‘Anonymous’ Trump op-ed in question (Poynter)
The big reveal yesterday of the author of the 2018 op-ed entitled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration” is calling into doubt The New York Times’ decision to describe the author as a “senior official.” The author, Mike Taylor, is a former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security. Brookings fellow Susan Hennessy wrote, “The mere fact that the majority of people clearly came away with the perception that the author was dramatically more senior than he was in reality means that the Times failed to provide its readership sufficient context.” Axios’ Jonathan Swan added, “It’s an embarrassment.”
+ Backlash after Trump endorsement prompts changes to The Spokesman-Review’s opinion pages, including “no more unsigned editorials and no more endorsements,” and more local voices on local issues (The Spokesman-Review)
SHAREABLE
How news outlets become misinformation superspreaders (Journalist’s Resource)
News reports often depict social media and far-right news outlets as the primary sources of domestic misinformation — and they are, indeed, misinformation hotbeds. However, writes Thomas E. Patterson, there is a major source of misinformation that’s rarely mentioned in news stories — the news media themselves. Research has shown that mainstream news outlets, by dint of reporting on misinformation, play a larger role in propagating it than even coordinated foreign efforts like that of the Russians in 2016. The justification that “it’s newsworthy” ignores the damage that is done by the spread, argues Patterson — something that fact-checks can’t come close to recalling.
The post Need to Know: October 29, 2020 appeared first on American Press Institute.
Humans make mistakes, and this year’s election – run by humans – will bring plenty of them. Poll workers are managing the vote during a pandemic. Laws are changing, sometimes late in the game because of court rulings. A greater number of people are voting by mail.
And with the inevitable mistakes comes a whole new category of misinformation: One that takes these human errors and contorts them into an intentionally “rigged” election.
One of the more prominent examples occurred in Pennsylvania last month when an independent contractor mistakenly discarded nine military ballots. The secretary of state said it was not intentional fraud. But it wasn’t long before President Donald Trump’s team turned this human error into an effort to steal the election. His Justice Department launched an investigation into the incident.
In a Michigan case that state officials called human error, 400 ballots intended for military personnel included the wrong name where Vice President Mike Pence’s should have been. The problem was fixed and voters got the right ballot. But Trump tweeted that it was done “illegally and on purpose.”
In California, a printing error meant 2,100 voters mistakenly received mail-in ballots that didn’t have the presidential slates. Trump tweeted about the incident, using it as a basis for saying “this will be the most corrupt Election in American History!” Voters ultimately were sent the right ballots.
Ascribing the worst possible motives to local election officials who are just trying to do their jobs in a difficult year seems like an especially cynical falsehood to spread. But local officials, of course, aren’t the real targets of this disinformation campaign. It’s aimed at the voters themselves, to undermine their confidence in the integrity of the election system, and it has become a regular feature of Trump’s campaign strategy.
The human errors that come with an already stressed election will continue for the next five days and beyond. Fact-checkers can and have debunked individual “fraud” claims, but the larger intent is to plant seeds of doubt across the landscape. And, as FactCheck.org’s Lori Robertson pointed out in a recent piece summing up Trump’s false claims, they are usually aimed at swing states.
– Susan Benkelman, API
This week’s fact-check tackles a claim on Instagram from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady that there have been more deaths from suicide than COVID-19 in the past two months. We’ve seen variations of this claim before in Germany, Colombia, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and even previously in the United States.
COVID-19 has caused immense disruption in our lives, so this claim feels plausible. PolitiFact’s Jon Greenberg spoke to experts and used the latest available data to show that the average number of suicides per month in the United States pales in comparison to the number of people dying from COVID-19.
In 2018, the year for which we have the most complete data, the U.S. averaged 4,026 suicides a month. The average deaths per month from COVID-19 has been many times larger than that, and suicide researcher Dr. Jonathan Singer told Greenberg there’s no way the rate of suicides could have jumped that much.
What we liked: As noted above, this is a claim that feels true, but isn’t. It reminds us of how our emotional response to information impacts our willingness to believe it. This is also a claim that has spread globally, so this fact-check plays an important role in building a reservoir of debunks other fact-checkers can use to fight similar claims.
– Harrison Mantas, IFCN
Thanks for reading. Feel free to send feedback to factually@poynter.org. And send us your favorite fact checks! We’d love to hear from you.
The post Factually: Turning human error into election ‘fraud’ appeared first on American Press Institute.
