The culture of opinion

The year 2024 has been a landmark for global elections, with over 70 countries — representing nearly half of the world's population — holding elections. The results offer a unique snapshot of citizens' priorities and societal dynamics worldwide.

A few eloquent numbers on the U.S. elections reflect both the zeitgeist and our relation to the news. During his first mandate, Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims, as counted by The Washington Post Fact Checker. This summer, it was reported that Elon Musk had posted at least 50 false or misleading information about the U.S. elections, which garnered 1.2 billion views.

Given the profound impact of national elections, we might ask: What place remains for truth in the public sphere? To what extent have opinions overshadowed facts, and what does this shift reveal about our responsibilities as citizens?

Disaffection and distrust toward news media have grown over the years, peaking infamously during the COVID-19 crisis. Indeed, they have often been accused by anonymous or famous people of deliberately avoiding certain matters or serving private interests.

Unsurprisingly, the 2022 survey conducted by the Knight Foundation highlights Americans' declining trust in the news media, with 53 percent of the respondents holding an unfavorable view.

In the meantime, the Reuters Institute Digital News Report points out two current trends: the growing number of people using social media and how video is becoming an important source of news online since TikTok has noticeably overtaken X, formerly Twitter. The findings also outline the increasing weight of commentators and influencers in the field.

The major shift from traditional news media to online videos from individuals presenting and commenting on the news seems to shine a light on Paul F. Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz's book "Personal Influence" (1955), in which they demonstrate the power of "opinion leaders" and how interpersonal relations are superior to media when people have to make a decision. They explain that this power relies on identifying and affiliating with the same social groups.

Along the same lines, the American Psychological Association exposed that people do not necessarily need to believe misinformation to spread it and are more likely to spread it when it aligns with their identity or social norms when it is new and generates strong emotions.

It appears that we are now subjected to a culture where opinion and emotions prevail, and Peter Wason's confirmation bias is prevalent.

This phenomenon presents a challenge to democracy, as described by the knowledge gap hypothesis (Tichenor, Donohue, & Olien). The hypothesis suggests that mass media often widens the existing gap between groups with greater access to in-depth information and those with limited access to reliable news.

Furthermore, it is also a threat to democracy. In her book, "La Stratégie de l'Emotion," the French journalist Anne-Cecile Robert notes that emotions have taken over political and social spaces to the detriment of reason. She warns that a society driven by emotion rather than thought leads to passive citizens and deprives them of the time required to put things into perspective.

As a result, polarization is exacerbated, and the multiplication of new media blurs the lines between information and communication.

That is why it is urgent to regulate social media platforms with early interventions to prevent the spread of misinformation and implement sanctions if necessary. Finally, it is critical that we demand more from the media, whether traditional or new and from the people whose voices can be heard and relayed, to remain enlightened citizens.

The writer grew up in France, studied at Kent State University, teaches at business schools and writes for famous French newspapers such as l'Obs, Mediapart and Liberation.