Drawing on a variety of perspectives and methodologies, this collection explores the intricate relationship between mis- and disinformation and the functioning of democratic society.
Drawing on a variety of perspectives and methodologies, this collection explores the intricate relationship between mis- and disinformation and the functioning of democratic society.
This book seeks to show how mis- and disinformation is destabilizing our collective confidence in institutions fundamental to the functioning of democratic society, including our electoral processes, our perceptions of trust in government officials and institutions, our healthcare, education, economic, and media systems, and even our communities and interpersonal relationships. Topics covered in this book include the role of Artificial Intelligence in automating deception; how financial crises and journalistic norms in the news industry create favourable conditions for the amplification and laundering of political disinformation; and how our emotional states impact our susceptibility to misinformation. Throughout, authors provide nuanced definitions of key terms such as “conspiracy theory” and “digital democracy” which help level the field for future research.
Mis/Disinformation and Democratic Society is recommended reading for researchers and advanced scholars in this dynamic area of study.
List of Figures
List of Contributors
Series Editor Forward
Introduction: Mis/Disinformation and Democratic Society
Melissa Zimdars
Chapter 1: Theorizing the Role of Mis/Disinformation, Digital Democracy, and
the Public Sphere
Ivanka Pjesivac and Alexia Little
Chapter 2: Automating Deception: Generative AI, Disinformation, and the
Future of the Liberal Public Sphere
Heather Walters
Chapter 3: Dont Blame the Victim for the System: How Paywalls, Bad Digital
Design, Prohibitions on Political Talk, and Streaming TV Undermine News
Literacy
Nikki Usher
Chapter 4: News Industry Crises, the Specter of Objectivity, and the
Laundering and Amplification of Political Disinformation
Melissa Zimdars
Chapter 5: Political Misinformation Over the Last Decade
Erik Schlicht
Chapter 6: Conspiracy Aesthetics
Robert N. Spicer
Chapter 7: Link in Bio: Fake Cancer Cures, Radicalization Pathways and
Online Harms on TikTok
Stephanie Alice Baker
Chapter 8: Emotion and Misinformation Acceptance During Public Health Crises:
Validation of the Emotional Congruence Hypothesis with the Emotion of Hope
Kilhoe Na
Chapter 9: Inoculation: An Antidote to Protect Against the Influence of
Disinformation About Organizations
Michel M. Haigh, Erin Hester, and Youjeong Kim.
Chapter 10: Understanding the Third Person Effect in the Context of Online
Hate Speech and Disinformation
Travis Loof and Jody-Ann Tyson
Index
Melissa Zimdars is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at Merrimack College, USA. Her work on mis/disinformation has appeared in numerous academic and popular outlets, including New Media and Society, Social Media + Society, International Journal of Communication, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, the Chronicle Review, and the Washington Post. She has also delivered several keynote lectures about mis/disinformation for local, national, and international professional and academic organizations, and has been interviewed about fake news and mis/disinformation by dozens of news outlets around the world, including the Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR, BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Scientific American.
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