[Ads-l] information / low-information

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Interesting topic, ZS. I've repeatedly encountered the phrase "low
information voter". Modern uses of "low information" might be derived
from this phrase or might be influenced by this phrase.

Researcher Barry Popik has two relevant entries on his website. Barry
traced the phrase "low information voter" back to 1971.

Low Information Voter (LIV)
https://barrypopik.com/blog/lofo_low_information_voter

[Begin excerpt from barrypopik.com]
A “low information voter” (LIV) is someone who doesn’t follow politics
closely, but votes on a candidate’s perceived likability and public
persona. The term “low information voter” was first used in
Implications of Changes in Information Processing and Communications
Technology for the Governing Function (1971) by Ronald D. Brunner and
John P. Crecine.
[End excerpt from barrypopik.com]

When I have encountered the phrase "low information voter" in recent
years it has been pejorative.

Barry also has an entry about the term “LoFo”.

LoFo (low information voter)
https://barrypopik.com/blog/lofo_low_information_voter

[Begin excerpt from barrypopik.com]
The “low information voter” means a citizen who votes based on other
values besides the best information and facts. The acronym “LIV” was
used by 2008.
[End excerpt from barrypopik.com]

Wikipedia has an entry for "Low information voter", but the entry only
traces the notion back to 1991.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_information_voter

[Begin excerpt from Wikipedia]
American pollster and political scientist Samuel Popkin coined the
term "low-information" in 1991 when he used the phrase
"low-information signaling" in his book The Reasoning Voter:
Communication and Persuasion in Presidential Campaigns.
[End excerpt from Wikipedia]

Here is a pertinent 1978 citation:

Date: October 26, 1978
Newspaper: Philadelphia Daily News
Newspaper Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Article: What Election in N.J.?
Quote Page 21, Column 1
Database: Newspapers.com

https://www.newspapers.com/image/185335401/

[Begin excerpt]
Stephen Salmore, poll director, added the percent of voters who had
not read or heard about the race is virtually unchanged since the
pre-primary figure of 57 percent.
Cliff Zukin, the poll's associate director, said the low information
may help Bradley over Bell.
"Low information voters are more likely to fall back on party labels
in deciding who to vote for."
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Aug 4, 2024 at 11:27 AM Z S <zrice3714 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> About a year ago, I noticed "information" being used with notable frequency
> in political contexts in which the definition was not exactly "propaganda"
> - the meaning to which I was accustomed.
>
> The latest version I've noted is "low-information", a sort of slur and/or
> euphemism for "ignorant", "uneducated", "working class", "not assimilated",
> "not conforming" etc.
>
> Prior to "low-information", I heard the phrase "X doesn't have enough
> information" with notable frequency, which seems related to the
> "low-information" usage I hear today.
>
> Each time that I encountered the above expressions, they were directed
> toward Black people, and usually with some condescension. Those using the
> aforementioned expressions were all media-affiliated (CNN, and the NY Times
> were the most memorable examples for me). Each time that I've heard it
> used, it was directed toward "ordinary" folk whose thoughts, values, or
> beliefs were not in line with a specific monied and politically dominant
> class of Black people.
>
> I feel as if I've also seen "low-information" used in the past few months
> to refer to white rural Americans, if I remember correctly. Again, with
> condescension, as an explanation for their political views, with a higher
> economic class referring to those of a lower economic class with views that
> did not align with those of their more monied and politically dominant
> peers, and by a news outlet.
>
> ZS
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org