Bail Reform Misinformation: Why Searching for the Truth on Bail Reform is Harder Than You Think
Understanding Bail Reform Misinformation in the Digital Age
The Challenge of Finding Truth Online About Bail Reform
In a world of disinformation, misinformation and propaganda, it is extremely hard to find the truth about any subject. From the best laundry detergent or the best local burger joint, every person has a different opinion about what they feel is the truth. And with most of the information we consume today coming from the internet and Google searches, we can see a wide range of truths. Why? Because what Google does is aggregate answers it finds on the web that relate to your question. Not because it is the actual best answer, but because it is what Google perceives as the best answer based on its mystery algorithm. The reality is that our search results are just a large collection of different truths from different people all over the world that are being prioritized and served up by an algorithm that Google created. So, are the results of a Google search the truth? For a lot queries, yes, maybe, but for some, the evidence might show otherwise.
Spend some time and run some searches on Google, especially on topics that are political in nature. What you will find is that many times the results of a Google search aren’t always guaranteed to be the best information, but rather, it is the information and content from the authors that are the best at playing the Google algorithm game.
How Coordinated Content Can Shape Bail Reform Search Results
Now imagine if one group, or a collection of groups, posted and shared the same content and information online, even if it was inaccurate. Imagine if those same groups really understood how to play the Google algorithm game. Would it be possible for that collection of groups to dominate the search results for a category with their inaccurate information? Absolutely. Has this ever happened? Absolutely.
Bail Reform Misinformation in Cashless Bail Search Results
This is particularly evident around the topics of bail reform and cashless bail. Much of the information that Google serves up is not the best or most accurate information. In fact, the first several pages of Google results for most bail related searches are dominated by research studies and articles conducted by and written by anti-bail activist groups like the Brennan Center for Justice, the VERA Institute, the MacArthur Foundation, the Prison Policy Initiative and the Data Collaborative for Justice to name a few. All these groups are well funded and coordinated in how they create, post and share anti-bail content and Google rewards them for their coordination.
Looking Past the Algorithm for a More Balanced Perspective
The next time you are searching for answers on the internet, remember that the truth is out there, and it might not be on the first page of Google. That space is reserved for those who know how to play the algorithm game. But if you force yourself to search beyond just the first few pages of Google, especially when searching for a bail reform or cashless bail term, you might just get a different point of view…or what some of us call a more fair and balanced collection of information to help you form a more accurate opinion.