Romy Jaster and David Lanius
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter shows why defining “fake news” is worthwhile and what a suitable definition of “fake news” might look like. It begins by introducing the authors’ definition of “fake news” (§2) and ...
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This chapter shows why defining “fake news” is worthwhile and what a suitable definition of “fake news” might look like. It begins by introducing the authors’ definition of “fake news” (§2) and employs it to set fake news apart from related phenomena that are often conflated with it (§3). It then extracts seven potential dimensions of the concept of fake news from the literature (§4) and compares the most representative definitions that have been proposed so far along those dimensions (§5). The chapter’s primary aims are (i) to enable a systematic evaluation of prevalent definitions with respect to their extensional scope, practical utility, and conceptual transparency, (ii) to demonstrate that there is more widespread agreement than one would think at the outset, and (iii) to show (in §6) that defining “fake news” is not only far from futile, but of vital importance to confront the epistemic threats posed by fake news.Less
This chapter shows why defining “fake news” is worthwhile and what a suitable definition of “fake news” might look like. It begins by introducing the authors’ definition of “fake news” (§2) and employs it to set fake news apart from related phenomena that are often conflated with it (§3). It then extracts seven potential dimensions of the concept of fake news from the literature (§4) and compares the most representative definitions that have been proposed so far along those dimensions (§5). The chapter’s primary aims are (i) to enable a systematic evaluation of prevalent definitions with respect to their extensional scope, practical utility, and conceptual transparency, (ii) to demonstrate that there is more widespread agreement than one would think at the outset, and (iii) to show (in §6) that defining “fake news” is not only far from futile, but of vital importance to confront the epistemic threats posed by fake news.
Duncan Pritchard
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
An account is offered of the nature of fake news, and it is explained how this account differs from the main proposals in the contemporary philosophical literature in this regard. One key feature of ...
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An account is offered of the nature of fake news, and it is explained how this account differs from the main proposals in the contemporary philosophical literature in this regard. One key feature of the account is the idea that fake news is not a genuine form of news. In particular, fake news is to be distinguished from genuine news that is epistemically problematic. It is argued that this point is important because it entails that what is required to differentiate news with a sound epistemic pedigree from news that has a poor epistemic pedigree is distinct from what is required to differentiate genuine news from fake news. This has implications for how we should manage the challenge posed by fake news, at both the individual and the structural levels.Less
An account is offered of the nature of fake news, and it is explained how this account differs from the main proposals in the contemporary philosophical literature in this regard. One key feature of the account is the idea that fake news is not a genuine form of news. In particular, fake news is to be distinguished from genuine news that is epistemically problematic. It is argued that this point is important because it entails that what is required to differentiate news with a sound epistemic pedigree from news that has a poor epistemic pedigree is distinct from what is required to differentiate genuine news from fake news. This has implications for how we should manage the challenge posed by fake news, at both the individual and the structural levels.
Sven Bernecker
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0014
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
If we have reason to believe that by following the news, we acquire more false beliefs than true ones or we acquire true but irrelevant beliefs, then we may be justified in taking a newsbreak. We are ...
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If we have reason to believe that by following the news, we acquire more false beliefs than true ones or we acquire true but irrelevant beliefs, then we may be justified in taking a newsbreak. We are propositionally justified in temporarily ignoring the news either in a domain or from a source if (i) we are in a fake news environment or are justified in believing that we are, and (ii) it is cognitively difficult or time consuming to discriminate genuine from fake news or to obtain genuine news. The defense of news abstinence rests either on reliabilism about justification or the defeasibility theory. When reliabilism is combined with epistemic consequentialism, news abstinence in a fake news environment is not only epistemically permitted but also epistemically required.Less
If we have reason to believe that by following the news, we acquire more false beliefs than true ones or we acquire true but irrelevant beliefs, then we may be justified in taking a newsbreak. We are propositionally justified in temporarily ignoring the news either in a domain or from a source if (i) we are in a fake news environment or are justified in believing that we are, and (ii) it is cognitively difficult or time consuming to discriminate genuine from fake news or to obtain genuine news. The defense of news abstinence rests either on reliabilism about justification or the defeasibility theory. When reliabilism is combined with epistemic consequentialism, news abstinence in a fake news environment is not only epistemically permitted but also epistemically required.
Nicole M. Krause, Christopher D. Wirz, Dietram A. Scheufele, and Michael A. Xenos
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190900250
- eISBN:
- 9780190900298
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190900250.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
Since Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the 2016 US presidential election, media organizations, pundits, academics, and technology leaders are panicking not only over what they see as the sudden ...
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Since Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the 2016 US presidential election, media organizations, pundits, academics, and technology leaders are panicking not only over what they see as the sudden emergence of fake news but also over the difficulties of finding effective and sustainable solutions. But how new or even real is this idea of inaccurate or intentionally misleading news? This chapter shows that fake news is by no means a new phenomenon but has, in fact, been an integral part of the media ecosystem throughout the history of media effects research. The second section of the chapter provides a discussion of factors that do in fact create new problems for our democratic system and pose new challenges for media systems transitioning to on-demand and online-only modes of delivery. The chapter closes with an outlook on promising research areas that offer solutions for some of the challenges facing our democratic system.Less
Since Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the 2016 US presidential election, media organizations, pundits, academics, and technology leaders are panicking not only over what they see as the sudden emergence of fake news but also over the difficulties of finding effective and sustainable solutions. But how new or even real is this idea of inaccurate or intentionally misleading news? This chapter shows that fake news is by no means a new phenomenon but has, in fact, been an integral part of the media ecosystem throughout the history of media effects research. The second section of the chapter provides a discussion of factors that do in fact create new problems for our democratic system and pose new challenges for media systems transitioning to on-demand and online-only modes of delivery. The chapter closes with an outlook on promising research areas that offer solutions for some of the challenges facing our democratic system.
Sven Bernecker, Amy K. Flowerree, and Thomas Grundmann
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
News matters. Democracies need independent, fact-based news to provide a voice for a diverse range of people, to watchdog the powerful, and to keep members of a society informed. Much of the news ...
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News matters. Democracies need independent, fact-based news to provide a voice for a diverse range of people, to watchdog the powerful, and to keep members of a society informed. Much of the news surrounding us today does not, for one reason or the other, meet the standards of epistemically valuable news. Our media environments are polluted by fake news and other forms of mis- and disinformation. We have a problem of fake news. This chapter presents the motivations and challenges for giving an account of fake news that can be useful to science. It then argues that a specific epistemology of fake news is needed as a new branch of social epistemology. The chapter presents a rough sketch of how the contours of such an epistemology of fake news may look like. It also gives an overview of the chapters of this volume.Less
News matters. Democracies need independent, fact-based news to provide a voice for a diverse range of people, to watchdog the powerful, and to keep members of a society informed. Much of the news surrounding us today does not, for one reason or the other, meet the standards of epistemically valuable news. Our media environments are polluted by fake news and other forms of mis- and disinformation. We have a problem of fake news. This chapter presents the motivations and challenges for giving an account of fake news that can be useful to science. It then argues that a specific epistemology of fake news is needed as a new branch of social epistemology. The chapter presents a rough sketch of how the contours of such an epistemology of fake news may look like. It also gives an overview of the chapters of this volume.
Axel Gelfert
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0015
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
The term ‘fake news’, it is argued in this chapter, captures a novel kind of social-epistemic dysfunction that arises from systemic distortions of established processes of creating, disseminating, ...
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The term ‘fake news’, it is argued in this chapter, captures a novel kind of social-epistemic dysfunction that arises from systemic distortions of established processes of creating, disseminating, and consuming news-like content. Navigating informational environments populated by fake news requires the cultivation of epistemic routines that reduce our exposure to misleading and deceptive information, while at the same time continuing to allow us to partake in the collective growth of knowledge. Shifting the focus to epistemic routines steers a middle path between two frequently encountered dichotomous responses to the problem of fake news: viz., between emphasizing the individual’s responsibility to ‘think critically and check one’s sources’ and advocating technological tweaks (such as automated fact-checking). While epistemic agents ought to be held responsible for the epistemic routines they commit themselves to, there is also a collective need for making the predictable effects of such choices transparent to individuals, wherever technologically possible.Less
The term ‘fake news’, it is argued in this chapter, captures a novel kind of social-epistemic dysfunction that arises from systemic distortions of established processes of creating, disseminating, and consuming news-like content. Navigating informational environments populated by fake news requires the cultivation of epistemic routines that reduce our exposure to misleading and deceptive information, while at the same time continuing to allow us to partake in the collective growth of knowledge. Shifting the focus to epistemic routines steers a middle path between two frequently encountered dichotomous responses to the problem of fake news: viz., between emphasizing the individual’s responsibility to ‘think critically and check one’s sources’ and advocating technological tweaks (such as automated fact-checking). While epistemic agents ought to be held responsible for the epistemic routines they commit themselves to, there is also a collective need for making the predictable effects of such choices transparent to individuals, wherever technologically possible.
Richard C. Fording and Sanford F. Schram
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- August 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780197500484
- eISBN:
- 9780197500521
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197500484.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
Chapter 6 focuses on the role of a changing media landscape in disseminating misinformation to a disproportionately underinformed audience to support Donald Trump. It shows how the Trump campaign and ...
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Chapter 6 focuses on the role of a changing media landscape in disseminating misinformation to a disproportionately underinformed audience to support Donald Trump. It shows how the Trump campaign and its allies, including the contract firm Cambridge Analytica as well as Russian operatives, exploited the changing media landscape to spread misinformation to sow racial division and stoke white outgroup hostility. The chapter examines the nexus between Fox News, fake news, and Trump to provide evidence of the specific connection that demonstrates the key role of the mass media, social media included, in disseminating misinformation about outgroups and sustaining high levels of outgroup hostility among whites.Less
Chapter 6 focuses on the role of a changing media landscape in disseminating misinformation to a disproportionately underinformed audience to support Donald Trump. It shows how the Trump campaign and its allies, including the contract firm Cambridge Analytica as well as Russian operatives, exploited the changing media landscape to spread misinformation to sow racial division and stoke white outgroup hostility. The chapter examines the nexus between Fox News, fake news, and Trump to provide evidence of the specific connection that demonstrates the key role of the mass media, social media included, in disseminating misinformation about outgroups and sustaining high levels of outgroup hostility among whites.
Cate Dowd
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- April 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190655860
- eISBN:
- 9780190098445
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190655860.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
Semantic news tags processed via cloud servers are in amongst big data and machine learning systems. The latter may have influenced Murdoch’s acquisition of a ‘social media news agency’, and other ...
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Semantic news tags processed via cloud servers are in amongst big data and machine learning systems. The latter may have influenced Murdoch’s acquisition of a ‘social media news agency’, and other partnerships, as a mix of new roles across journalism, analytics, and search emerged. Some editing roles in journalism focus on SEO, but Murdoch’s Storyful, which started as a verification business created jobs for cloud operations engineers, viral video editors, and trends editors. Data-mining techniques were a lure for news and social media partnerships circa 2013–2016. In the name of verification, access to big data was matched by social media gaining credibility, evident in Facebook Newswire and other journalism projects. Deep learning methods in search, referrals, and automated tagging have also produced mutual benefits, mostly via third party agreements. However, data sharing for political ends by targeting particular users, and verification projects, have not stopped fake news.Less
Semantic news tags processed via cloud servers are in amongst big data and machine learning systems. The latter may have influenced Murdoch’s acquisition of a ‘social media news agency’, and other partnerships, as a mix of new roles across journalism, analytics, and search emerged. Some editing roles in journalism focus on SEO, but Murdoch’s Storyful, which started as a verification business created jobs for cloud operations engineers, viral video editors, and trends editors. Data-mining techniques were a lure for news and social media partnerships circa 2013–2016. In the name of verification, access to big data was matched by social media gaining credibility, evident in Facebook Newswire and other journalism projects. Deep learning methods in search, referrals, and automated tagging have also produced mutual benefits, mostly via third party agreements. However, data sharing for political ends by targeting particular users, and verification projects, have not stopped fake news.
Catarina Dutilh Novaes and Jeroen de Ridder
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
Do we live in a post-truth era where fake news and alternative facts run rampant? This suggestion has become a staple of recent non-fiction writing. Others disagree and suggest that contemporary fake ...
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Do we live in a post-truth era where fake news and alternative facts run rampant? This suggestion has become a staple of recent non-fiction writing. Others disagree and suggest that contemporary fake news is really nothing new. This chapter examines what, if anything, is novel about contemporary fake news. After clarifying the meaning of fake news for the present purposes, the chapter presents three models of manipulation of public opinion and argues that they are recognizable throughout history. Next, the chapter looks at various features of contemporary fake news that could account for its novelty. Based on a survey of historical and empirical evidence, it is proposed that the novelty of contemporary fake news primarily lies in how the Internet and social media have changed the ways in which (fake) news can be distributed and consumedLess
Do we live in a post-truth era where fake news and alternative facts run rampant? This suggestion has become a staple of recent non-fiction writing. Others disagree and suggest that contemporary fake news is really nothing new. This chapter examines what, if anything, is novel about contemporary fake news. After clarifying the meaning of fake news for the present purposes, the chapter presents three models of manipulation of public opinion and argues that they are recognizable throughout history. Next, the chapter looks at various features of contemporary fake news that could account for its novelty. Based on a survey of historical and empirical evidence, it is proposed that the novelty of contemporary fake news primarily lies in how the Internet and social media have changed the ways in which (fake) news can be distributed and consumed
Ronald M. Baecker
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198827085
- eISBN:
- 9780191917318
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198827085.003.0010
- Subject:
- Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction
Politics and government are undergoing dramatic changes through the advent of new technology. The early developers of community networks (mentioned in Section 1.2) had hopeful visions of ...
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Politics and government are undergoing dramatic changes through the advent of new technology. The early developers of community networks (mentioned in Section 1.2) had hopeful visions of information technology (IT)-facilitating participatory democracy. Yet the most memorable visions have been literary dystopias, where surveillance is omnipresent and governments have absolute control. We shall begin by highlighting some of these important writings. We shall then consider a current and present topic—the cultural and legal frameworks governing free speech and other forms of expression on the internet. We review several kinds of ‘undesirable’ speech that test our commitment to free speech—messages that are viewed as obscene, hateful, seditious, or encouraging of terrorism. Next, we examine methods governments worldwide use to censor web content and prevent digital transmission of messages of which they disapprove, as well as a similar role for social media firms in what is now known as content moderation. We shall also mention one new form of rampant and very harmful internet speech— fake news. Fake news becomes especially troubling when it is released into and retransmitted widely into filter bubbles that select these messages and echo chambers that focus and sensationalize such points of view to the exclusion of other contradictory ideas. The prevalence and dangers of fake news became obvious during post facto analyses of the 2016 US presidential campaign. The internet and social media enable greater civic participation, which is usually called e-democracy or civic tech. Most such uses of social media are relatively benign, as in online deliberations about the desired size of a bond issue, or internet lobbying to get libraries to stay open longer during the summer. However, for more significant issues, such as violations of fundamental human rights, or unpopular political decisions that incite public unrest, social media communications may facilitate political protest that can lead to political change. IT also plays a role in elections—social media can be used to mobilize the electorate and build enthusiasm for a candidate. Correspondingly, surveys and big data are used to target potential voters during political campaigns and to tailor specific messages to key voters.
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Politics and government are undergoing dramatic changes through the advent of new technology. The early developers of community networks (mentioned in Section 1.2) had hopeful visions of information technology (IT)-facilitating participatory democracy. Yet the most memorable visions have been literary dystopias, where surveillance is omnipresent and governments have absolute control. We shall begin by highlighting some of these important writings. We shall then consider a current and present topic—the cultural and legal frameworks governing free speech and other forms of expression on the internet. We review several kinds of ‘undesirable’ speech that test our commitment to free speech—messages that are viewed as obscene, hateful, seditious, or encouraging of terrorism. Next, we examine methods governments worldwide use to censor web content and prevent digital transmission of messages of which they disapprove, as well as a similar role for social media firms in what is now known as content moderation. We shall also mention one new form of rampant and very harmful internet speech— fake news. Fake news becomes especially troubling when it is released into and retransmitted widely into filter bubbles that select these messages and echo chambers that focus and sensationalize such points of view to the exclusion of other contradictory ideas. The prevalence and dangers of fake news became obvious during post facto analyses of the 2016 US presidential campaign. The internet and social media enable greater civic participation, which is usually called e-democracy or civic tech. Most such uses of social media are relatively benign, as in online deliberations about the desired size of a bond issue, or internet lobbying to get libraries to stay open longer during the summer. However, for more significant issues, such as violations of fundamental human rights, or unpopular political decisions that incite public unrest, social media communications may facilitate political protest that can lead to political change. IT also plays a role in elections—social media can be used to mobilize the electorate and build enthusiasm for a candidate. Correspondingly, surveys and big data are used to target potential voters during political campaigns and to tailor specific messages to key voters.
Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris, and Hal Roberts
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190923624
- eISBN:
- 9780190923662
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190923624.003.0001
- Subject:
- Law, Intellectual Property, IT, and Media Law
This chapter describes the contours of the epistemic crisis in media and politics that threatens the integrity of democratic processes, erodes trust in public institutions, and exacerbates social ...
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This chapter describes the contours of the epistemic crisis in media and politics that threatens the integrity of democratic processes, erodes trust in public institutions, and exacerbates social divisions. It lays out the centrality of partisanship, asymmetric polarization, and political radicalization in understanding the current maladies of political media. It investigates the main actors who used the asymmetric media ecosystem to influence the formation of beliefs and the propagation of disinformation in the American public sphere, and to manipulate political coverage during the election and the first year of the Trump presidency, , including “fake news” entrepreneurs/political clickbait fabricators; Russian hackers, bots, and sockpuppets; the Facebook algorithm and online echo chambers; and Cambridge Analytica. The chapter also provides definitions of propaganda and related concepts, as well as a brief intellectual history of the study of propaganda.Less
This chapter describes the contours of the epistemic crisis in media and politics that threatens the integrity of democratic processes, erodes trust in public institutions, and exacerbates social divisions. It lays out the centrality of partisanship, asymmetric polarization, and political radicalization in understanding the current maladies of political media. It investigates the main actors who used the asymmetric media ecosystem to influence the formation of beliefs and the propagation of disinformation in the American public sphere, and to manipulate political coverage during the election and the first year of the Trump presidency, , including “fake news” entrepreneurs/political clickbait fabricators; Russian hackers, bots, and sockpuppets; the Facebook algorithm and online echo chambers; and Cambridge Analytica. The chapter also provides definitions of propaganda and related concepts, as well as a brief intellectual history of the study of propaganda.
Peppino Ortoleva
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190900250
- eISBN:
- 9780190900298
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190900250.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
Fake news has been cyclically surfacing in the history of journalism and public opinion. In the vein of some classic authors, the chapter identifies ideas that are surprisingly useful in the present ...
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Fake news has been cyclically surfacing in the history of journalism and public opinion. In the vein of some classic authors, the chapter identifies ideas that are surprisingly useful in the present media environment. It interweaves three historical threads relevant to today’s fake news: (1) the growth of canards in 19th-century Paris, observed by both Honoré de Balzac and Gérard de Nerval as the habitual invention of news when facts were not sufficiently attractive for readers; (2) the diffusion of fausses nouvelles during the Great War, described by Marc Bloch and propelled by the tendency, in times of crisis, to search for oracles more than information proper; (3) the propensity, suggested by Richard Hofstadter, to spread conspiracy theories, notably in the development of McCarthyism.Less
Fake news has been cyclically surfacing in the history of journalism and public opinion. In the vein of some classic authors, the chapter identifies ideas that are surprisingly useful in the present media environment. It interweaves three historical threads relevant to today’s fake news: (1) the growth of canards in 19th-century Paris, observed by both Honoré de Balzac and Gérard de Nerval as the habitual invention of news when facts were not sufficiently attractive for readers; (2) the diffusion of fausses nouvelles during the Great War, described by Marc Bloch and propelled by the tendency, in times of crisis, to search for oracles more than information proper; (3) the propensity, suggested by Richard Hofstadter, to spread conspiracy theories, notably in the development of McCarthyism.
David Coady
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
It is widely believed that we are facing a problem, caused by something called ‘fake news’. Governments and other powerful institutions around the world have adopted a variety of measures to restrict ...
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It is widely believed that we are facing a problem, caused by something called ‘fake news’. Governments and other powerful institutions around the world have adopted a variety of measures to restrict the reporting and dissemination of claims they deem to be fake news. Many of these measures are clear breaches of fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press. This chapter arsgues that, contrary to common opinion, there is no new or growing problem of fake news. There is instead a new and growing problem caused by the term ‘fake news’. Although this term has no fixed meaning it does have a fixed function. It functions to restrict permissible public speech and opinion in ways that serve the interests of powerful people and institutions.Less
It is widely believed that we are facing a problem, caused by something called ‘fake news’. Governments and other powerful institutions around the world have adopted a variety of measures to restrict the reporting and dissemination of claims they deem to be fake news. Many of these measures are clear breaches of fundamental rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press. This chapter arsgues that, contrary to common opinion, there is no new or growing problem of fake news. There is instead a new and growing problem caused by the term ‘fake news’. Although this term has no fixed meaning it does have a fixed function. It functions to restrict permissible public speech and opinion in ways that serve the interests of powerful people and institutions.
Sarah Birch
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781526133281
- eISBN:
- 9781526138828
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9781526133281.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter examines the issue of electoral integrity at the 2017 general election and in British politics more generally. While elections are generally administered to high standards and are free ...
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This chapter examines the issue of electoral integrity at the 2017 general election and in British politics more generally. While elections are generally administered to high standards and are free of some of the problems found in other democracies, a number of recent party-funding scandals and localised incidents of misconduct have greatly increased the issue’s salience. Moreover, the 2017 election was also contested under the shadow of the alleged rise of ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ politics. Looking to the future, changing behaviour around social media raise important questions about the long-term integrity of British elections.Less
This chapter examines the issue of electoral integrity at the 2017 general election and in British politics more generally. While elections are generally administered to high standards and are free of some of the problems found in other democracies, a number of recent party-funding scandals and localised incidents of misconduct have greatly increased the issue’s salience. Moreover, the 2017 election was also contested under the shadow of the alleged rise of ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ politics. Looking to the future, changing behaviour around social media raise important questions about the long-term integrity of British elections.
Sanford C. Goldberg
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.003.0013
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
Fake news poses an interesting test case to theories of the epistemology of testimony. If they are to illuminate the nature of the epistemic challenges and harms fake news poses to (members of) a ...
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Fake news poses an interesting test case to theories of the epistemology of testimony. If they are to illuminate the nature of the epistemic challenges and harms fake news poses to (members of) a community, the theories themselves must move beyond several overly simplistic models of communication. After developing and criticizing some of these, this chapter goes on to offer a more nearly adequate model. The distinctive feature of the theory presented is that it goes beyond the reporter (speaker) and recipient (hearer), postulating several other roles people (and technology) play in communication. The upshot of these reflections is a case for thinking of epistemic responsibility in distinctly social terms—in terms of what we owe to each other as creatures who are both information-seeking and highly social.Less
Fake news poses an interesting test case to theories of the epistemology of testimony. If they are to illuminate the nature of the epistemic challenges and harms fake news poses to (members of) a community, the theories themselves must move beyond several overly simplistic models of communication. After developing and criticizing some of these, this chapter goes on to offer a more nearly adequate model. The distinctive feature of the theory presented is that it goes beyond the reporter (speaker) and recipient (hearer), postulating several other roles people (and technology) play in communication. The upshot of these reflections is a case for thinking of epistemic responsibility in distinctly social terms—in terms of what we owe to each other as creatures who are both information-seeking and highly social.
Nicolas Petit
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780198837701
- eISBN:
- 9780191874291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198837701.003.0007
- Subject:
- Law, Competition Law, Intellectual Property, IT, and Media Law
This chapter explores policy options for novel harms like privacy, fake news, or hate speech in digital markets. The discussion shows that the novel harms allegedly inherent in big tech firms are not ...
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This chapter explores policy options for novel harms like privacy, fake news, or hate speech in digital markets. The discussion shows that the novel harms allegedly inherent in big tech firms are not strictly related to monopoly power. Regulation is thus the way forward, not competition. And consumer protection regulation is a better approach than competition spirited “utilities regulation” or revenue-sharing driven “retail regulation.”Less
This chapter explores policy options for novel harms like privacy, fake news, or hate speech in digital markets. The discussion shows that the novel harms allegedly inherent in big tech firms are not strictly related to monopoly power. Regulation is thus the way forward, not competition. And consumer protection regulation is a better approach than competition spirited “utilities regulation” or revenue-sharing driven “retail regulation.”
Sven Bernecker, Amy K. Flowerree, and Thomas Grundmann (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198863977
- eISBN:
- 9780191896255
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198863977.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This volume consists of a series of essays on the epistemology of fake news, written by leading philosophers. The epistemology of fake news is a branch of applied epistemology, and an exercise in ...
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This volume consists of a series of essays on the epistemology of fake news, written by leading philosophers. The epistemology of fake news is a branch of applied epistemology, and an exercise in non-ideal epistemology. It provides insight into the nature and spread of misinformation, fake news, conspiratorial thinking, echo chambers, epistemic pathologies in the formation of public opinion, and the relation between epistemic ideals and fake news. The volume is arranged into three parts. The chapters in Part I are concerned with the meaning of ‘fake news’ and related notions such as ‘conspiracy theory’ as well as with the novelty of the phenomenon of fake news. This part also addresses the question whether ‘fake news’ and related notions can be properly used within science. Part II discusses various practices that generate fake news, promote its spread, or are purported to do so. These practices include science denialism, Google algorithms, democratic ideals, vice in experts, and unreliable echo chambers. Part III explores potential therapies for fake news. Authors’ proposals include developing the virtue of epistemic trustworthiness, abstaining from news, and developing good epistemic practices.Less
This volume consists of a series of essays on the epistemology of fake news, written by leading philosophers. The epistemology of fake news is a branch of applied epistemology, and an exercise in non-ideal epistemology. It provides insight into the nature and spread of misinformation, fake news, conspiratorial thinking, echo chambers, epistemic pathologies in the formation of public opinion, and the relation between epistemic ideals and fake news. The volume is arranged into three parts. The chapters in Part I are concerned with the meaning of ‘fake news’ and related notions such as ‘conspiracy theory’ as well as with the novelty of the phenomenon of fake news. This part also addresses the question whether ‘fake news’ and related notions can be properly used within science. Part II discusses various practices that generate fake news, promote its spread, or are purported to do so. These practices include science denialism, Google algorithms, democratic ideals, vice in experts, and unreliable echo chambers. Part III explores potential therapies for fake news. Authors’ proposals include developing the virtue of epistemic trustworthiness, abstaining from news, and developing good epistemic practices.
Dinah PoKempner
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- March 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190883591
- eISBN:
- 9780190883638
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190883591.003.0014
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter argues that we are at a difficult juncture in protecting online speech and privacy when states resist applying principles they have endorsed internationally to their domestic legislation ...
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This chapter argues that we are at a difficult juncture in protecting online speech and privacy when states resist applying principles they have endorsed internationally to their domestic legislation and practice. Although governments have welcomed the internet’s globalizing effect on economic development, they now fear its ability to amplify messages such as terrorism, revolution, pornography, or propaganda. But sacrificing basic freedoms to control the internet’s powers is neither effective nor wise. How well we protect privacy and speech in the digital age will determine whether the internet liberates or enchains us.Less
This chapter argues that we are at a difficult juncture in protecting online speech and privacy when states resist applying principles they have endorsed internationally to their domestic legislation and practice. Although governments have welcomed the internet’s globalizing effect on economic development, they now fear its ability to amplify messages such as terrorism, revolution, pornography, or propaganda. But sacrificing basic freedoms to control the internet’s powers is neither effective nor wise. How well we protect privacy and speech in the digital age will determine whether the internet liberates or enchains us.
Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris, and Hal Roberts
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190923624
- eISBN:
- 9780190923662
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190923624.003.0006
- Subject:
- Law, Intellectual Property, IT, and Media Law
This chapter examines how mainstream media operated in a propaganda-rich environment by focusing on its failure and recovery modes. In particular, this chapter analyzes two central attributes of ...
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This chapter examines how mainstream media operated in a propaganda-rich environment by focusing on its failure and recovery modes. In particular, this chapter analyzes two central attributes of mainstream media and professional journalism that shaped election coverage, and in some cases made them particularly susceptible to being manipulated into spreading right-wing propaganda: balance and the scoop culture. The chapter first considers how internal dynamics of news reporting led mainstream media to emphasize the email investigation over substantive discussion of politics. The chapter then shows how Breitbart exploited the hunger for scoops, along with the public performance of objectivity and critical remove of mainstream journalism, to utilize the credibility of the New York Times, and later other major publications, to propagate and accredit the “Clinton corruption” frame. Finally, the chapter describes the failures and corrective mechanisms surrounding the recipients of President Donald Trump’s Fake News Awards for 2017.Less
This chapter examines how mainstream media operated in a propaganda-rich environment by focusing on its failure and recovery modes. In particular, this chapter analyzes two central attributes of mainstream media and professional journalism that shaped election coverage, and in some cases made them particularly susceptible to being manipulated into spreading right-wing propaganda: balance and the scoop culture. The chapter first considers how internal dynamics of news reporting led mainstream media to emphasize the email investigation over substantive discussion of politics. The chapter then shows how Breitbart exploited the hunger for scoops, along with the public performance of objectivity and critical remove of mainstream journalism, to utilize the credibility of the New York Times, and later other major publications, to propagate and accredit the “Clinton corruption” frame. Finally, the chapter describes the failures and corrective mechanisms surrounding the recipients of President Donald Trump’s Fake News Awards for 2017.
Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris, and Hal Roberts
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190923624
- eISBN:
- 9780190923662
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190923624.003.0009
- Subject:
- Law, Intellectual Property, IT, and Media Law
This chapter examines three main threats to American democracy related to Facebook: Facebook microtargeting and dark ads, behavioral manipulation by Cambridge Analytica, and political clickbait ...
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This chapter examines three main threats to American democracy related to Facebook: Facebook microtargeting and dark ads, behavioral manipulation by Cambridge Analytica, and political clickbait factories. The chapter considers the effectiveness of psychographically microtargeted advertising and the question of exposure to “fake news” on Facebook during the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The chapter explains why behaviorally informed, microtargeted dark ads are an important novel threat to democratic practice independent of the overall architecture of the media environment, even as it cautions that there is no evidence to support this theory. It also argues that both the Cambridge Analytica and political clickbait threats were overstated.Less
This chapter examines three main threats to American democracy related to Facebook: Facebook microtargeting and dark ads, behavioral manipulation by Cambridge Analytica, and political clickbait factories. The chapter considers the effectiveness of psychographically microtargeted advertising and the question of exposure to “fake news” on Facebook during the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election. The chapter explains why behaviorally informed, microtargeted dark ads are an important novel threat to democratic practice independent of the overall architecture of the media environment, even as it cautions that there is no evidence to support this theory. It also argues that both the Cambridge Analytica and political clickbait threats were overstated.
