While reviewing the literature pertaining to the infamous fake news, many would out of necessity make a distinction between the domineering work concerned with the kind of campaigning and the apparent computational propaganda online, compounded by the current offshoots for its consumers, plus, some few findings, usually journalistic found on the web and in social media. Nonetheless, while much focus has been on the influence of Russia on the campaigning in the United States, and the absence or presence thereof during elections in France, Germany, Sweden, Dutch and elsewhere, the fact remains that the influence of campaigning within political spaces online, together with the question of manipulation or persuasion is irrefutable.
Indeed, journalism is currently engulfed in a state of substantial flux, with novel digital platforms unleashing innovative journalistic practices, which allow new communication forms and vast global reach. However, hoaxes and disinformation, commonly referred to as ‘fake news’ are on a high acceleration, subsequently influencing the way people interpret daily developments and their way of life as a whole.
Driven by foreign elements, citizen journalism, along with the proliferation of cable news and talk radio, myriad information systems have now become more contentious and polarized, not to mention that there has been a swift decline on public trust as regards traditional journalism. Correspondingly, this conception may be seen as the cradle for the term ‘post-truth,’ which was defined in 2016 as relating to or referring to the circumstances within which objective facts are usually less influential when it comes to shaping public opinion compared to appeals to personal belief and emotion(s).
In particular, the 2016 Brexit vote in the UK, and the tumultuous US presidential election depicted the way the digital era has influenced news along with cultural narratives. Indeed, the notion of post-truth, especially fact-checking, risks turning into more than just a catchphrase, taking into account that the epistemic, political, social and cultural issues at hand behind the current controversy on post-truth are so diverse, differentiated and disheveled. In fact, though fact-checkers core intent is to get closer to the truth, their biases may shroud the real truth they are looking for; a phenomenon that was evinced in the 2016 U.S. Presidential campaigns and election.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Fake News and Computational Propaganda
2. The Post-Truth Era and Fact-Checking Dynamics
3. Institutional Roles and Professional Ethics in Fact-Checking
4. Impact of Fact-Checking on Audience Perception
5. Social Network-Based Manipulation and Political Influence
6. Election Season Campaigns and Allegations of Electoral Meddling
7. Cognitive Impacts of Disinformation and Partisan Fact-Checking
8. State-Run Fact-Checking and Future Implications for Free Speech
Research Objectives and Themes
This work explores the evolving intersection of journalism, political influence, and the digital dissemination of information. It aims to analyze the systematic function of fact-checking in the "post-truth" era, specifically examining how computational propaganda, cognitive biases, and institutional responses shape public opinion and political discourse in modern election cycles.
- The rise of post-truth politics and the decline of public trust in traditional journalism.
- The complexities and biases inherent in modern fact-checking practices.
- Mechanisms of computational propaganda and social media-based public manipulation.
- The influence of fact-checking on voter behavior and ideological perceptions.
- Potential risks of state-led fact-checking for democratic free speech and institutional transparency.
Excerpt from the Publication
The Reveal of the Real: Fact-Checking and ‘Not-Tags’ in the Current Conjuncture
While reviewing the literature pertaining the infamous fake news, many would out of necessity make a distinction between the domineering work concerned with the art of campaigning and the apparent computational propaganda online, compounded by the current offshoots for its consumers, plus, some few findings, usually journalistic found on the web and in social media. Nonetheless, while much focus has been on the influence of Russia on the campaigning in the United States, and the absence or presence thereof during elections in France, Germany, Sweden, Dutch and elsewhere, the fact remains that influence campaigning within political spaces online, together with the question of manipulation or persuasion is irrefutable (Yerlikaya & Toker, 2020).
Indeed, journalism is currently engulfed in a state of substantial flux, with novel digital platforms unleashing innovative journalistic practices, which allow new communication forms and vast global reach. However, hoaxes and disinformation, commonly referred as ‘fake news’ are on a high acceleration, subsequently influencing the way people interpret daily developments and their way of life as a whole (Corner, 2017).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction to Fake News and Computational Propaganda: Introduces the distinction between traditional campaigning and modern computational propaganda while highlighting the volatile state of contemporary journalism.
2. The Post-Truth Era and Fact-Checking Dynamics: Defines the post-truth climate and the resulting emergence of fact-checking as a core attempt to navigate subjective political narratives.
3. Institutional Roles and Professional Ethics in Fact-Checking: Examines the institutionalization of fact-checkers and the growing professional tension between objective verification and political bias.
4. Impact of Fact-Checking on Audience Perception: Analyzes scholarly evidence regarding how fact-checking influence is limited by audience ideology and preexisting emotional attachments.
5. Social Network-Based Manipulation and Political Influence: Details the multi-stage process of digital manipulation, from phony websites to the deployment of political bots.
6. Election Season Campaigns and Allegations of Electoral Meddling: Discusses real-world examples, such as the 2016 US election, where social media was utilized to manipulate voter behavior and distort candidate reputations.
7. Cognitive Impacts of Disinformation and Partisan Fact-Checking: Explores how misinformation impacts subconscious mind-sets and how partisan fact-checking can exacerbate identity-based political division.
8. State-Run Fact-Checking and Future Implications for Free Speech: Critiques the potential for government-aligned fact-checking initiatives to serve as instruments for limiting free speech under the guise of security.
Keywords
Fake News, Post-Truth, Computational Propaganda, Journalism, Fact-Checking, Social Media, Disinformation, Political Manipulation, Electoral Meddling, Cognitive Bias, Democracy, Free Speech, Public Trust, Digital Platforms, Epistemology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this publication?
The work examines the rise of fake news and computational propaganda, the evolution of fact-checking, and how these elements influence democratic processes and political discourse.
What are the primary themes discussed in the text?
Key themes include the impact of digital platforms on journalism, the mechanisms of election manipulation, the psychological limitations of fact-checking, and the sociopolitical implications of post-truth rhetoric.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to understand how disinformation shapes reality and how institutional attempts to verify facts, such as fact-checking, interact with social, political, and cultural factors during election cycles.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The publication is a scholarly review that synthesizes literature from political science, communication studies, and psychology to evaluate the effectiveness and institutional realities of fact-checking in the digital age.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The body spans the history of post-truth trends, technical methods of online propaganda, case studies of electoral influence, and critical analyses of government-sanctioned truth verification.
Which keywords define this work?
Significant keywords include Post-Truth, Computational Propaganda, Fact-Checking, Journalism, Disinformation, and Electoral Meddling.
How do social media platforms contribute to political manipulation?
The text explains that social media allows for the creation of deceptive websites and the use of political bots at scale, enabling actors to target voters with emotionally charged, manipulative content.
What is the risk associated with state-run fact-checking?
The author suggests that state-led fact-checking might be used as a political tool to frame "fake news" as a threat to public order, thereby establishing justifications for restricting free speech.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Mutinda Jackson (Autor:in), 2021, Media Manipulation in the 21st Century. Fact-Checking and ‘Not-Tags’ in the Current Conjuncture, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1275277
