Mexico’s 2024 Election - Misinformation, Gender Bias, and Mitigation

Show notes

In this episode of Civics and Cynics, hosts Dr. Juan Gomez Cruces and Dr. Umer Jan are in conversation with Dr. Rocío Galarza Molina and Francisco Gonzalez Lopez. The episode explores the complexities of misinformation, hate speech, and gender bias in Mexico's 2024 elections. Set against the historic backdrop of Mexico's largest elections, where leading presidential candidates Claudia Sheinbaum and Xóchitl Gálvez, both women, faced off, the episode examines how digital misinformation and social media vitriol shaped public perception and electoral integrity.

Guests Dr. Rocio Galarza Molina, a specialist in political communication based at Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), and Francisco José González López, a project leader at the NGO  Movilizatorio, bring an academic yet grounded perspective on the challenges and countermeasures in this charged electoral environment. Together, they explore the evolving role of social media as both a tool for democratic engagement and a conduit for divisive narratives, including gendered hate speech that plagued both candidates.

The episode unpacks how viral misinformation—from sensational falsehoods about Sheinbaum’s religious background to misleading claims about Gálvez’s stance on social programs—affected public discourse and electoral integrity. José González López also shares insights from a collaborative initiative with Mexico's National Electoral Institute and Meta aimed at empowering voters to recognize and resist digital disinformation. Through this alliance, his team reached millions with targeted media literacy content designed to mitigate disinformation’s impact.