[The Editors' Verdict] How to Approach Political News During the Presidential Election Season

For the next 40 days or so, most of us will end up overconsuming political news. The political season is notorious for straining relationships with acquaintances, friends, and family?and sometimes even turning people into sworn enemies. To avoid such situations, it is important to keep the following points in mind.

First, do not read only the headlines. Headlines are a form of art, packed with cutting-edge know-how designed to attract clicks. In principle, a headline should concisely represent the content of the article, but that is often not the case?especially during election periods, when competition for clicks intensifies. This is why we should approach headlines with caution, but in reality, most people do not. According to Pew Research, 63% of adults read only the headlines when encountering news on social networking services (SNS). The power of headlines is so strong that they can easily trap readers within a particular frame. It is best to read the entire article and, if possible, check reports from other outlets covering the same topic.

Second, do not be swayed by comments. Even readers who thoroughly read an article rarely hit the "back" button immediately; instead, they scroll down to read the comments. Sorting options like "most liked" or "most recommended" are hard to ignore, as people are curious about the majority opinion. When a comment similar to one's own opinion receives many "likes," it creates a sense of social validation. Because of the power of comments, incidents such as "comment manipulation" have occurred. However, comments do not represent real public opinion. Extreme views tend to be cheered, while moderate voices are drowned out. Commenters make up less than 1% of all readers?the remaining 99% remain silent.

A voter placing a ballot into the ballot box. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Third, always be skeptical of images and videos. Sharing political images and videos via SNS is more active than ever. It is common to see images capturing a politician's specific expression or remark, circulated with added captions. This is a highly effective strategy for simplifying context and provoking emotional responses, which is precisely why it is used as a subtle propaganda tool. The human brain tends to trust audiovisual information more than text. Even completely nonsensical claims can seem plausible when presented in video form rather than as text. With artificial intelligence (AI), it has become extremely easy to synthesize and manipulate images and videos. Even if a correction is issued later, it is very difficult to change the first impression that has already formed. It is essential to check the source.

Lastly, do not try to persuade others. Trying to bring someone who supports the opposing candidate over to your side is nothing more than wishful thinking. It is better to assume that it will not happen. People unconsciously resist factual information that threatens the values of their primary group in order to avoid conflict or alienation. This is known as "identity-protective cognition." That is why, even if you bombard someone with hundreds of political news links containing inconvenient truths, it will not change their voting tendencies.

Moreover, in modern society, political choices are not just opinions?they are part of one's identity. In a world where people are connected through online communities, follower and following relationships, and group chat rooms, changing one's preferred candidate feels like a betrayal or a denial of oneself. The stronger a person's political beliefs, the more likely they are to double down on their existing position when presented with evidence that they are wrong. Psychologists call this the Backfire Effect.

This does not mean that all conversation should be cut off. Dialogue is always desirable. It is simply better to change the goal of political conversations from "persuasion" to "understanding." Sincerely ask, "Why do you think that?" Listen without judgment, and try to understand the other person's point of view. While you may not be able to change where they stamp their ballot on election day, you can deepen mutual respect. After all, once the election is over, we still have to live together.