Fake entertainment news circulating to encourage voter registration
A stream of social media users and even prominent brands have been sharing fake news stories to get people to register to vote.
If we’ve learned anything in the last few year, it’s that fake news is in the eye of the beholder. With our president calling outlets such as Washington Post and CNN fake news, it’s easy to be skeptical.
Read more: Millennials need to vote before things get way worse
Don’t worry: this is actual fake news using fake headlines to grab people’s attention.
The fake news stories include a juicy headline and maybe even a picture. But when users click to read the story, it takes them to the voter registration page. There’s no reporting or media outlets involved. Just an intriguing picture and a link to this voter registration page.
Riot Fest was one of the first to get involved, tweeting a teaser for 2019’s lineup. When people went to read the story, it took them to register to vote instead.
The 2019 Riot Fest lineup is finally here! https://t.co/Gnc3S410OR
— Riot Fest (@RiotFest) October 15, 2018
While the move went over some people’s heads, more people played along or applauded the move.
Other examples include everything from Kim Kardashian “divorcing” Kanye West to the “real” reason Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson broke up.
Welp…it’s official…Kim Kardashian finally decided to divorce Kanye West… https://t.co/C2p25mxWJO
— Ashlee Marie Preston (@AshleeMPreston) October 12, 2018
Wow I can’t believe this is why Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson split up https://t.co/WQrbEBV6uD pic.twitter.com/Dc8b9azhua
— Tim (@cigelske) October 14, 2018
With mid-term elections Nov. 6, the pressure for first-time voters to get involved is increasing. Even Taylor Swift recently broke her political silence, speaking very openly about her views and encouraging her fans to vote.
For the first time, millennial voters could make a huge difference in these elections. Only around 28 percent of young voters say they’ll vote in the midterms Nov. 6, according to Vox. This means that millennial’s parents and even grandparents could have the deciding vote on LGBTQ, reproductive and climate change issues.
There is a chance though; after Swift’s statement, voter registration increased by 65,000 just a day after her statement. If more millennials voted, they could potentially change the political climate around things such as sexual assault and marijuana use.
Early voting is already open in some states, and it’s up to the younger generation to change the tide. Make sure you’re registered to vote at HeadCount.org and see if early voting is open in your state here.
