# Can you trust what you see?

> Partisan news and AI deepfakes challenge trust in what we see.
- Title: Can you trust what you see? · Straight Arrow | Shortify
- Summary: Partisan news and AI deepfakes challenge trust in what we see. AI-generated political attack ads are misleading voters and causing legal disputes.
- Keywords: 2026 election, elections, greenland, politics, tupac, deepfakes, newspaper, news media, news, world, trust, see
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/can-you-trust-what-you-see-partisan-news-and-ai-deepfakes-lets-go-off-script
- Published: 2026-10-15T17:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: 2026 election, ai, elections, greenland, politics, tupac, deepfakes, newspaper, news media, news, world
## Partisan newspaper network
Ohio Independent newspaper shows up in news deserts ahead of midterms with heavy Democratic lean.
## Political bias in news deserts
Partisan outlets replace local news in areas with few competing outlets, increasing polarization.
## AI deepfakes in politics
Politicians create AI-generated videos of rivals that claim to be authentic political statements.
## Rebecca Cooke's video
AI deepfake shows Cooke saying she is the anointed one who will make voters comply with D.C. masters.

> Do you really think it matters what you peasants think? I am the anointed one. You will comply, and you will vote for me. That is an order from your D.C. masters.
## Derrick Van Orden's campaign
Van Orden's campaign defends AI deepfakes of Cooke as political satire rather than defamation.
## Legal debate on deepfakes
Legal experts say AI deepfakes could be defamatory if a reasonable person believes the false statements are true.
## Detection rates
51% of people can identify AI-generated content, meaning some fall for misleading videos.
## Political impact
Partisan outlets may make voters more entrenched in their views rather than changing minds.
## AI deepfake risks
AI-generated videos risk defamation claims and legal action from political targets.
## Partisan news effect
Partisan outlets replace local news, reducing shared community topics and increasing polarization.
## AI deepfake legal standard
Defamation requires false statements that a reasonable person would believe are true.
## Detection challenge
AI-generated content becomes harder to distinguish as technology improves.
## Political consequences
AI deepfakes may increase voter polarization and legal disputes over misinformation.
## Partisan news impact
Partisan outlets may make voters more entrenched in their views rather than changing minds.
## AI deepfake threat
AI-generated videos risk defamation claims and legal action from political targets.
## What happens next
Politicians and media must address AI deepfakes to prevent voter confusion and legal disputes.
## Key takeaway

AI-generated political attack ads are misleading voters and causing legal disputes.