League of Women Voters to host lecture on political rhetoric, misinformation Sept. 30

The public is invited to a free, non-partisan lecture and discussion on Political Rhetoric and Misinformation in Democracy on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. The League of Women Voters-sponsored event will take place in the Lean Lecture Room on the lower level of Wishart Hall on The College of Wooster campus at 303 University St. Parking is available behind Wishart Hall.

Three speakers will each present a 15-minute talk, followed by a Q&A. 

“Our goal is to educate the public on what to look for in speeches, articles, social media, and advertising to help make an informed, critical analysis of what they are reading and hearing,” said Karen Skubik, program co-chair for the League of Women Voters of Wayne County.

What is political rhetoric? 

“In short,” said Skubik, “it’s using language to influence or persuade an audience.” 

Rhetoric may appeal to an individual’s emotions to sway beliefs and sometimes to influence support of a candidate or political issue.

“We not only find this type of speech in the news and advertising,” said Skubik, “but in conversations with friends and family members.”

Skubik said misinformation refers to false or misleading information usually used to influence the population. 

“Misinformation is often spread through social media to sow doubt and undermine the democratic process,” said Skubik. “Sometimes one doesn’t realize the lies they’re sharing are untrue, but some individuals or even whole organizations or the media maliciously spread manipulated content for selfish goals. It’s important to understand when you’re being subjected to misinformation because it can erode public trust in democratic institutions and the electoral process.”

The event will present a non-partisan look at how both parties are “equal opportunity offenders” in rhetoric and misinformation, how data is used to sway and confuse the public, how rhetoric divides society and can undermine democracy, and how voters can sort through and identify this bipartisan phenomenon.

Speakers will be Elora Agsten, learning engagement librarian at The College of Wooster; Denise Bostdorff, professor of communication studies at The College of Wooster; and Lauren Copeland, principal consultant at Data and Dialogue Insights.

Agsten will speak about the basics of recognizing misinformation, why people believe it, why it’s so hard to prove and how it’s spread in community and friend groups. 

“Anyone can fall for misinformation,” she said. “There is no age, political affiliation, education level, or anything that makes someone immune to it. When I talk with older crowds, they think misinformation is a young person's problem. When I talk with younger crowds, they think it's an older person's problem. No one seems willing to accept that it could be them or their friends falling for it, which is one of the reasons why it's such a problem.”

Copeland will discuss the use of data in political rhetoric. 

Bostdorff will speak about fallacies in rhetoric that may lead people astray. 

“And by rhetoric,” she said, “I simply mean persuasive language that can be used for good or ill."

Bostdorff said emotion in and of itself isn’t bad — persuasion requires an emotional connection. 

“However, the problem with fallacies in rhetoric is that they supercharge emotions based on faulty reasoning, which can lead us to poor decisions and even lead us to harm others,” Bostdorff said.

Anyone interested in obtaining tools to better understand political rhetoric and identify when someone or a group is twisting the truth will likely take away some new understandings from the event. 

“If you wish to support the democratic process established in our constitution and not fall prey to foreign manipulators, computer bots, and people or organizations with malicious intent,” said Skubik, “it is important to differentiate the real news from the fake news that you see and hear every day.”