Editorial: Billboard causes alarm

Illustration by William Nies

As election season reaches its peak, campaign messages are nearly impossible to miss. billboards, posters, yard signs and online ads surround us, flood our social media feeds and even interrupt our YouTube videos with ads, promoting every possible message and agenda. 

Recently, a billboard in Amarillo, funded by Randall County Republican Party, displayed a message reading: “End the hell, stop the march to communism, vote Republican, vote Trump.” This message raises concerns about the impact of politically charged, inflammatory language with no factual basis to support it.

We, the Ranger staff, believe that billboards and messages like these do more harm than good, especially as we inch closer to Election Day. When no real information is presented and powerful words are misused, public fear and panic can spread quickly. Using misinformation or charged language in politics to manipulate public opinion is not new, and history shows the dangers it poses. 

When biased messages replace true political information, public trust in the democratic process weakens. The more people are bombarded with inaccurate information and false narratives, they may feel less inclined to seek out accurate information on their own. Social media’s constant stream of political content only amplifies this issue. 

Skewed messages that replace unbiased political information cause distrust in the democratic process. Many of the messages we consume come from false or one-sided sources. With the constant bombardment of subjective media, people may become less inclined to seek out information independently. 

According to a survey by the National Center for State Courts, 64% of adults felt that fake news often creates confusion about basic facts, and 23% admitted to sharing news they later discovered was false. This growing exposure to misinformation not only spreads distrust but also discourages people from participating fully in democracy.

Public opinion of political leaders and candidates is vital to a functioning democracy, and it’s crucial that these opinions are developed based on truth, not distortion. A Pew Research Center study found that, unlike other nations, a majority of citizens believe that social media has had a negative effect on democracy in the United States. The prevalence of misinformation and rumors about politicians stirs division among communities and damages the integrity of the electoral process.

To safeguard our democracy, we, the American people, must not only seek out information on critical issues but also ensure we are turning to trusted sources, and not taking everything at face value – we also need to do our own research. Media literacy or the understanding how to analyze sources, verify facts and question what we read has become more essential now than ever before. In today’s media environment, critical thinking can help protect us from misinformation and allow us to make well-informed decisions that strengthen our communities and democracy. 

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