Disinformation circulates through grudges that can’t be disproven: Research Summary
Disinformation is a major concern in social media, and it is necessary to understand its circulation as beliefs that cannot be fact-checked. This study investigates an online echo chamber that believes the Earth is flat to understand their word-crafting techniques that make their arguments engaging to their audience.
It finds that disinformation is more than facts vs. falsehoods; it is an orchestrated program that generates engagement through identity-driven culture wars. Disinformation circulates through never-ending grudges.
The study shows that identity-driven controversies constitute a vehicle through which disinformation is disseminated on social media. This means that raucous grudges on social media create a feedback loop that solidifies disinformation as points of view, becoming a way of ‘knowing’ in the world. The paper offers a detailed analysis of the arguments supporting beliefs on the flat Earth theory--and how to argue with them.
Disinformation is more than facts vs falsehoods; it is an orchestrated program that drives engagement through identity-driven culture wars. Disinformation circulates and solidifies through never-ending grudges.
As an alternative approach to disinformation, we show that identity-driven controversies constitute a vehicle through which disinformation is disseminated on social media. This means that raucous grudges on social media create a feedback loop that solidifies disinformation as points of view, becoming a way of ‘knowing’ in the world.
Fact-checking can backfire when disinformation circulates as identity work. To counter disinformation, policymakers, and social media platforms can use a rhetorical approach to give participants of echo chambers an exit opportunity without losing face.
A detailed analysis of why people believe in misinformation such as the flat Earth theory -and how to argue with them.
This work is important because it explains that fact-checking backfires when disinformation circulates as identity work. To counter disinformation, policymakers, and social media platforms can use a rhetorical approach to give participants of echo chambers an exit opportunity without losing face.
Diaz Ruiz, C., & Nilsson, T. (2023). Disinformation and Echo Chambers: How Disinformation Circulates on Social Media Through Identity-Driven Controversies. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 42(1), 18-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/07439156221103852
