Misinformation swirls online following White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting

OAKLAND, Calif. - The investigation into this weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner continues as a wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories spreads across digital platforms. 

What they're saying:

"No one knows what to trust," said Mary Shean of Walnut Creek. "I think we’re at that place where the people in charge have put us. Everything is fake news."

Minutes after federal agents took the alleged gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, into custody, posts on X and other social media sites began suggesting the event was a ploy. Some users claimed the shooting was staged, while others suggested it was a tactic to fast-track construction of the White House ballroom.

Divisive content 

Nolan Higdon, a professor of political history and media education at UC Santa Cruz, says several factors have created this environment. He noted that the "media diet" from legacy journalism, independent media, and social media influencers often prioritizes content that appeals to a divisive nature.

"[Viewers] start to get a very distorted view of the world, and they have that ‘caricature’ of the other side that they start to believe and internalize and fight against," said Higdon.

Higdon argued that while government officials on both sides of the aisle could play a key role in cooling tensions and pushing back on misinformation, they often fail to do so. He cited examples of officials calling for national unity only to immediately pivot to partisan blame.

Overwhelming confusion 

The confusion is unfolding against the backdrop of a nonstop news cycle involving international conflicts and economic shifts, leaving many feeling "overwhelmed."

To counteract the flow of misinformation, Higdon suggests that schools should invest more heavily in media literacy education. He also noted that the government could play a role in better regulating social media and the press without infringing upon First Amendment rights.