Stop the [Image] Steal: The Role and Dynamics of Visual Content in the 2020 U.S. Election Misinformation Campaign

TL;DR

This study analyzes the characteristics and spread of images used in the 2020 U.S. election misinformation campaign on Twitter, revealing insights into their types, origins, and rapid dissemination patterns.

Contribution

It provides a detailed mixed-method analysis of the types, content, and spread dynamics of images in a major misinformation campaign, highlighting the role of both popular and less-popular accounts.

Findings

Most popular images were photographs or text images, with few showing alleged fraud.

None of the popular images were manipulated photographs.

Images spread rapidly, often within hours of first appearance.

Abstract

Images are powerful. Visual information can attract attention, improve persuasion, trigger stronger emotions, and is easy to share and spread. We examine the characteristics of the popular images shared on Twitter as part of "Stop the Steal", the widespread misinformation campaign during the 2020 U.S. election. We analyze the spread of the forty most popular images shared on Twitter as part of this campaign. Using a coding process, we categorize and label the images according to their type, content, origin, and role, and perform a mixed-method analysis of these images' spread on Twitter. Our results show that popular images include both photographs and text rendered as image. Only very few of these popular images included alleged photographic evidence of fraud; and none of the popular photographs had been manipulated. Most images reached a significant portion of their total spread within several hours from their first appearance, and both popular- and less-popular accounts were involved in various stages of their spread.