Carlos Diaz Ruiz is awarded the Kinnear Award 2025
And the 2025 Thomas C. Kinnear Award goes to….
Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson are the recipients of the 2025 Thomas C. Kinnear Award for their article, “Disinformation and Echo Chambers: How Disinformation Circulates on Social Media Through Identity-Driven Controversies,” which appeared in the January 2023 issue (Vol. 42, No. 1) of Journal of Public Policy & Marketing (special issue on Marketing to Prevent Radicalization).
Carlos Diaz Ruiz, Associate Professor at Hanken School of Economics, is awarded the 2025 Thomas C. Kinnear Award together with Tomas Nilsson at Linnaeus University.
“We are honored to receive the 2025 Kinnear Award for our study on how disinformation thrives in the identity-led conflicts that are part and parcel of social media. The study proposes that disinformation can be understood as a coordinated rhetorical conflict designed to stir controversy and force audiences to take sides in an identity-driven conflict.
The amplification of disinformation online is becoming the “problem zero” of our times because we cannot solve any existential threats, including climate change and the erosion of democratic institutions, if we cannot agree on the most fundamental facts, such as the shape of the Earth.
As the editorial board of JPP&M recognizes this contribution with the 2025 Thomas C. Kinnear Award, the board signals the research potential for approaching a complex topic such as disinformation from the perspective of consumer culture theory and marketing theory. Whereas disinformation researchers typically have backgrounds in journalism and political communication, marketing researchers contribute knowledge on consumer practices to support policymakers when addressing society’s growing polarization.
We thank the Consumer Culture Theory community for enabling our research into controversial online communities without judging them. We are thankful for their feedback and encouragement during conferences and commenting on drafts.
Finally, we recognize the valuable contribution of the JPP&M editors and the anonymous reviewing team, who challenged and encouraged us to improve the paper during the multiple rounds of review. They took on the role of gardeners, nurturing the quality of the manuscript with their constructive comments.”
Named after JPP&M’s founding editor, Thomas C. Kinnear, the award honors articles that make the most significant contribution to the understanding of marketing and public policy issues within a three-year time period. JPP&M editors Jeremy Kees and Beth Vallen oversaw the selection process. The prize is awarded by the American Marketing Association, AMA.
