Video Scroll To The Polls Episode 1: How Social Media Feeds Elections

How is social media outrage and the rise of right-leaning digital media reshaping New Jersey’s 2025 governor’s race? We take a look at how viral scandals like Mikie Sherrill’s Naval Academy story — and the silencing of journalists and teachers for their opinions — reveal an online ecosystem where conservative influence dominates feeds, drives distrust, and even shifts how voters register their political identity.

Scroll to the Poll: How Social Media Feeds Elections is a three-part video series that reveals how online narratives are changing  New Jersey’s 2025 governor’s race and beyond. Episode 1 shows how scandals, outrage, and right-wing dominance online can tilt elections and silence dissenting voices. Episode 2 highlights campaigns like Zohran Mamdani’s in New York and Deja Foxx’s in Arizona, proving how social media fuels fundraising and visibility. Episode 3 brings it home to South Jersey, where local battles in Cherry Hill, Gen Z climate activists, and even global lessons from Nepal show how digital platforms can empower — or overpower — democracy.

This story is part of the NJ 2025 Reporting Fellowship, in collaboration with 15 local and community news organizations, the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, and NJ Spotlight News. The stories in this collaboration focus on immigration, education, healthcare, the economy, and the environment from the perspectives of diverse communities in New Jersey.