Fake News in an Era of Social Media

The title's reference to viral contagion resonates strongly in this time of COVID-19, and it finds its fullest expression in chapter 6, “Modelling the Propagation of Fake News in Social Media,” which looks at fake news in terms of epidemiology. Much of the book addresses themes that have become common in studies of fake news and related phenomenon like conspiracy theories: psychology, definition and history, corporate attempts to control the spread of misinformation, and threats to democracy and professional journalism. Chapter 10, “Fake News: A Legal Perspective,” is a brief discussion of the complications of attempting to regulate a global medium when nations have differing, sometimes conflicting, laws regarding the protection of speech and corporate liability. This chapter also reflects the international viewpoint of the book, which includes a chapter about the impact of misinformation on the health of Brazilians and some discussion about how fake news influenced the Brexit vote. Chapters are followed by references to works cited and are authored by academics from the UK, US, Brazil, and Kuwait. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.

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The editors make a welcome contribution to existing knowledge on fake news, a phenomenon that is simultaneously old yet morphing rapidly into different manifestations in the social media era. Unusually, the collection is genuinely inter-disciplinary bringing together knowledge and approaches from the social sciences with that of computing. The result is an interesting exploration of the theoretical, technical and practical. -- Anita Howarth, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, Media and Communication at Brunel University London
The scourge of ‘fake news’ represents pollution in our media ecology, its contamination of journalism threatening the health of democratic deliberation and debate in public life. Investigating its impact is vital, necessarily compelling us to rethink familiar tensions around the presumed ‘objectivity,’ ‘balance’ and ‘fairness’ of ‘real news’ as a matter of urgency. Yasmin Ibrahim and Fadi Safieddine’s edited collection Fake News in an Era of Social Media: Tracking Viral Contagion is a significant intervention, its contributors inspiring us to envisage positive, strategic approaches to challenging ‘post-truth’ disinformation. -- Stuart Allan, Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Cardiff University
It’s impossible to think of a more pressing topic in politics at present than ‘fake news’ and its impact on citizens around the globe as they seek to make sense of democracy in a digital age. This is a bold, unprecedentedly interdisciplinary and international initiative. Bringing together voices that are rarely heard for an exciting dialog, the editors have produced a text for the ages as well as today. Required reading! -- Toby Miller, New York University
Fake news and disinformation have emerged as THE phenomenon of our era, one which is perceived by many to be a subversive threat to democracy itself. This comprehensive and rigorous analysis captures the essence of a phenomenon at once ancient and modern and explains a world where everything and nothing is believed, a parallel reality where lies are merely alternative truths. These essays of course elucidate the fundamentals- how did we get here, and how can we combat it. But they also unravel the technological mysteries enabling Disinformation and investigate the psychology behind it. This lucid and insightful volume is necessary for anyone, citizen or scholar, who seeks an intelligent exposition of this troubling subject. -- Nicholas O'Shaughnessy, Professor of Communication, Queen Mary University of London School of Business and Manage