Trump's communication strategy as a threat to democracy?

Donald Trump's communication style continues to attract international attention. In an interview with ZDFheute, IWM scientist Dr Helen Fischer explains that a strategy called ‘zone flooding’ mixes truths and lies: ‘By bombarding people with a mix of facts and fiction at a high rate, Trump blurs the line between truth and lies,’ says Fischer.

Helen Fischer is a member of the Perception and Action lab at the IWM and one of her research areas is this new strategy of disinformation. In an interview with Marcel Burkhardt, she also talks about the social consequences of this tactic: ‘’Zone flooding' jeopardises democracy because it makes evidence-based decisions more difficult. Even if reliable information is available, the increasing credulity towards false statements leads to more false things being believed to be true,’ says Fischer.

To the interview: Expert on communication ethics: ‘Trump is showering people with rubbish’ (in German)