Review by Choice Review
In this slim volume, Patterson (John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard) incisively defines and analyzes layers of misinformation in US electoral politics and policy development. He explains why it seems that now "people get to choose their own reality" (p. 12). Before parties were strictly homogeneous, falsehoods and exaggerations could be caught and squelched before reaching voters' minds directly or through intermediaries. Today, misinformation flies directly into curated in-boxes and news feeds. Despite being derided as partisan, mainstream media outlets inadvertently normalize the distortions by examining both sides of a story--even if one side has no relationship to reality. These trends certainly predate Donald Trump, whose own complex relationship with facts resonates with voters who share Trump's skepticism about so-called elites. Patterson argues that Democrats bear some responsibility for the tribalism that allows people to talk (or shout) past each other, especially regarding policies through which minorities are pitted against whites in what appears (falsely) as a zero-sum game of political and economic power. Patterson concludes that regaining normalcy requires having better leaders at the top. In the meantime, voters can support traditional media outlets and moderate candidates and representatives. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. --Jasmine Farrier, University of Louisville
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
