Mis/Disinformation and Democratic Society

by Melissa Zimdars (Editor)

Overview

Drawing on a variety of perspectives and methodologies, this collection explores the intricate relationship between mis- and disinformation and the functioning of democratic society.

This book seeks to show how mis- and disinformation is destabilizing our collective confidence in institutions fundamental to the functioning of democratic society, including our electoral processes, our perceptions of trust in government officials and institutions, our healthcare, education, economic, and media systems; and even our communities and interpersonal relationships. Topics covered in this book include the role of Artificial Intelligence in automating deception; how financial crises and journalistic norms in the news industry create favorable conditions for the amplification and laundering of political disinformation; and how our emotional states impact our susceptibility to misinformation. Throughout, the authors provide nuanced definitions of key terms such as “conspiracy theory” and “digital democracy” which help level the field for future research.

Mis/Disinformation and Democratic Society is recommended reading for researchers and advanced scholars in this dynamic area of study.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041019237
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/15/2025
Series:	Electronic Media Research Series
Pages:	204
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Melissa Zimdars is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at Merrimack College, USA. Her work on mis/disinformation has appeared in numerous academic and popular outlets, including New Media and Society, Social Media + Society, International Journal of Communication, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, the Chronicle Review, and the Washington Post. She has also delivered several keynote lectures about mis/disinformation for local, national, and international professional and academic organizations, and has been interviewed about fake news and mis/disinformation by dozens of news outlets around the world, including the Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR, BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Scientific American.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Contributors

Series Editor Forward

 

Introduction: Mis/Disinformation and Democratic Society

Melissa Zimdars

 

Chapter 1: Theorizing the Role of Mis/Disinformation, Digital Democracy, and the Public Sphere

Ivanka Pjesivac and Alexia Little

 

Chapter 2: Automating Deception: Generative AI, Disinformation, and the Future of the Liberal Public Sphere

Heather Walters

 

Chapter 3: Don’t Blame the Victim for the System: How Paywalls, Bad Digital Design, Prohibitions on Political Talk, and Streaming TV Undermine News Literacy

Nikki Usher

 

Chapter 4: News Industry Crises, the Specter of Objectivity, and the Laundering and Amplification of Political Disinformation

Melissa Zimdars

 

Chapter 5: Political Misinformation Over the Last Decade

Erik Schlicht

 

Chapter 6: Conspiracy Aesthetics

Robert N. Spicer

 

Chapter 7: ‘Link in Bio’: Fake Cancer Cures, Radicalization Pathways and Online Harms on TikTok

Stephanie Alice Baker

 

Chapter 8:  Emotion and Misinformation Acceptance During Public Health Crises: Validation of the Emotional Congruence Hypothesis with the Emotion of Hope

Kilhoe Na

 

Chapter 9: Inoculation: An Antidote to Protect Against the Influence of Disinformation About Organizations

Michel M. Haigh, Erin Hester, and Youjeong Kim.

 

Chapter 10: Understanding the Third Person Effect in the Context of Online Hate Speech and Disinformation

Travis Loof and Jody-Ann Tyson

 

Index