The US authorities are trying hard to convince the skeptical public of this reports of mysterious lights flying around over New Jersey and other states have nothing to worry about, but observers say the way these officials communicate the message is hampering those efforts.
The government tells people not to worry but doesn't give them much beyond that, and that's a problem, says Philip Mai, co-director of the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
“The message was (delivered) in gibberish but did not provide enough detail,” said Mai, who studies the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories on social media.
He has been looking at a story of mysterious lights – officials say they are mostly legitimate drones, and sometimes other planes and even stars – that appeared on the Internet and eventually in the media in recent weeks.
Speculation ran rampant online, with some expressing fears that the drones could be part of a plot by foreign agents or covert U.S. government operations. Some also raised the topic of UFOs.
Jangyul Kim, an associate professor in the department of journalism and media communications at Colorado State University, agrees that the government has not been able to “clearly explain” the situation.
Kim says officials should be more transparent about how they reached those conclusions if they want to quell public concerns.
“Nothing Wicked”
Even Joe Biden couldn't allay the fears.
President of the United States – who last year he ordered it shot down alleged Chinese spy balloon – recently concluded that there was “nothing wrong” in the reports.
Pentagon officials also said there were no serious security concerns.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby downplayed reports of “mysterious drones” over New Jersey, suggesting there was no reason to believe they posed a threat or had “foreign connections.” Others, including some leading Republicans, disagree and are demanding a full severance package.
However, Mai said that since the pandemic, “people have become more distrustful” of what they hear from their governments.
And today they are aware of the existence of drones accustomed to deadly consequences in Ukraine and in other conflicts.
“We are all marinating or stewing in the same information ecosystem,” he said.
Add to this the lack of information from officials about drones, and you can see that people may try to fill in the gaps on their own.
Calls for stricter rules
Amid the confusion, some lawmakers have called for stricter rules on who can fly unmanned aircraft, as well as authorizing authorities to shoot them down.
Also this week, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas over critical infrastructure in New Jersey. FAA officials said the restrictions were put in place at the request of federal safety agencies and are in effect through Jan. 17.
After announcing a $1.3 billion plan to increase security at the U.S. border, Canadian officials have proposed ideas for how the money could be spent.
Meanwhile, White House national security spokesman John Kirby says Washington has sent staff and advanced technology to investigate reports from New Jersey and other states and is assessing every tip from citizens.
About 100 of the more than 5,000 sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant further investigation, – according to the joint statement by the US Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the FAA and the Department of Defense.
Mai says some officials alluded to the fact that some parts of the government may not be cooperating enough with their counterparts. In his opinion, it may happen that some units will not be aware of the activities of others.
Blaming the government
Many Republican voices blame the White House for lack of clarity.
“I think there's real hysteria here, but I blame it on the White House,” said Rep. Zack Nunn, D-Iowa. he told ABC News on Wednesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson it sounded similartelling Fox News that “people aren't buying the answer… and we demand that the administration do its job.”
US President-elect Donald Trump has stated that he believes the government knows more than it is saying.
But Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, says he hasn't heard anything to support the idea that the government is hiding anything.
He says a lack of faith in institutions plays a key role in this saga.
“Nothing I see or anything I've been involved in gives me that impression. But I understand that some people won't believe me, right? Because that's the level of distrust we face, Kim said on Monday.