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How is information pollution distorting democracy? A new preface for the French translation of In Praise of Reason.
2018 •
(English version; Published first in French; Spanish translation to appear in November 2020) Unlike the many attempts to define and document the circulation of fake news, this article is a critical guide to it (in the tradition of critical anti-positivist social and human sciences). It tracks the term’s history, first in American comedy shows, and shifting more recently into a feature of “post-truth” politics, where it is manufactured (un-humoursly) as a weapon of strategic deception (even geo-political). Finally, it considers the epistemic, ethical, and ontological implications of fake news for democratic participation and self-rule (as opposed to instrumentalized political communication as control).
Mass Media and Government. Rutgers University.
Fake News and the Political Polarization of American Democracy2017 •
My completed master's dissertation, addressing how fake news influences public perceptions of science
Journal of American Culture
F for Fake: Propaganda! Hoaxing! Hacking! Partisanship! and Activism! in the Fake News Ecology2018 •
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication
Post-truth and Critical Communication Studies2019 •
NOTE: IF YOU USE IDEAS FROM THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR OWN PAPERS, PLEASE CITE IT. THANKS. Citation: Harsin, J. (2018). Post-truth and critical communication studies. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Oxford University Press. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.757 Print Version: Harsin, J. H. (2019). Post-Truth and Critical Communication. In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Communication and Critical Cultural Studies. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780190459611.001.0001/acref-9780190459611-e-757 Summary While the periodizing concept “post-truth” (PT) initially appeared in the U.S. as a key word of popular politics in the form “post-truth politics” or “post-truth society,” it quickly appeared in many languages. It is now the object of increasing scholarly attention and public debate. Its popular and academic treatments sometimes differ on its meaning, but most associate it with communication forms such as fake/false news, rumors, hoaxes, political lying. They also identify causes such as polarization, and unethical politicians or unregulated social media; shoddy journalism; or simply the inevitable chaos ushered in by digital media technologies. Post-truth is sometimes posited as a social and political condition whereby citizens or audiences and politicians no longer respect truth (e.g. climate science deniers or “birthers”) but simply accept as true what they believe or feel. However, more rigorously, post-truth is actually a breakdown of social trust, which encompasses what was formerly the major institutional truth-teller or publicist—the news media. What is accepted as popular truth is really a weak form of knowledge, opinion based on trust in those who supposedly know. Critical communication approaches locate its historical legacy in the earliest forms of political persuasion and questions of ethics and epistemology, such as those raised by Plato in the Gorgias. While there are timeless similarities, post-truth is a 21st century phenomenon. It is not “after” truth but after a historical period where interlocking elite institutions were discoverers, producers and gatekeepers of truth, accepted by social trust (the church, science, governments, the school, etc.). Critical scholars have identified a more complex historical set of factors, to which popular proposed solutions have been mostly blind. Modern origins of post-truth lie in the anxious elite negotiation of mass representative liberal democracy with proposals for organizing and deploying mass communication technologies. These elites consisted of pioneers in the influence or persuasion industries, closely associated with government/political practice and funding, and university research. These influence industries were increasingly accepted not just by business but also (resource-rich) professional political actors. Their object was not policy education and argument to constituents but, increasingly strategically, emotion and attention management. Post-truth (PT) initially appeared in the U.S. as a key word of popular politics in the form “post-truth politics” or “post-truth society.” It is now the object of increasing scholarly attention and public debate. PT can usefully be understood in the context of its historical emergence, through its popular forms and responses, such as rumors, conspiracies, hoaxes, fake news, fact-checking, and filter bubbles, as well as through its multiple effects—not the least of which the discourse of panic about it. Key Words: Fake News, Fact-checking, Rumor, Disinformation, Trust, Truth, Attention Economy, Journalism, Democracy, Political Communication
In your action group, is it ever beneficial to lie to other members? When is it wise to lie to authorities? If a member of your group has done something wrong, is it better to be open about it now or keep it hidden in the hope that outsiders will never know? What are the pros and cons of infiltrating opposition groups to collect information about harmful activities? Should we wear masks at rallies? There’s lots of research showing that lying is an everyday occurrence in most people’s lives, and furthermore that lies can be beneficial in some circumstances. But they can also be very damaging, especially lies by authorities. The Deceptive Activist introduces key ideas about lying and deception and then provides a series of case studies in which activists need to decide what to do. There are no final answers, but it is important to address the questions.
2005 •
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication
Fake News2018 •
Fake news is not new, but the American presidential election in 2016 placed the phenomenon squarely onto the international agenda. Manipulation, disinformation, falseness, rumors, conspiracy theories—actions and behaviors that are frequently associated with the term—have existed as long as humans have communicated. Nevertheless, new communication technologies have allowed for new ways to produce, distribute, and consume fake news, which makes it harder to differentiate what information to trust. Fake news has typically been studied along four lines: Characterization, creation, circulation, and countering. How to characterize fake news has been a major concern in the research literature, as the definition of the term is disputed. By differentiating between intention and facticity, researchers have attempted to study different types of false information. Creation concerns the production of fake news, often produced with either a financial, political, or social motivation. The circulation of fake news refers to the different ways false information has been disseminated and amplified, often through communication technologies such as social media and search engines. Lastly, countering fake news addresses the multitude of approaches to detect and combat fake news on different levels, from legal, financial, and technical aspects to individuals’ media and information literacy and new fact-checking services.
2024 •
npj Ocean Sustain 3, 26 (2024).
A geopolitical-economy of distant water fishing access arrangementsM.P. Paoletti and F. Orilia (eds.) Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives on Downward Causation, Routledge,
‘Power mereology: structural versus substantial powers'2017 •
JURNAL EKONOMI Vol.VII/01/2002, pp.61-68; ISSN: 0854 – 9842
FENOMENA KESENJANGAN YANG TERJADI DALAM HUBUNGAN ANTARA SISTEM INFORMASI DAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI SERTA UPAYA MENJEMBATANINYA: SUATU TINJAUAN DARI PERSPEKTIF TEORI EKONOMIOlivier Ihl Revue française de science politique 2023/2 (Vol. 73)
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B7-1 (CD80) as target for immunotoxin therapy for Hodgkin's disease1997 •
Chemical Physics Letters
Permeability and storage ability of inorganic X12Y12 fullerenes for lithium atom and ion2018 •
Media Komunikasi Teknik Sipil
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Kütüphanecilikte halkla ilişkiler ve kitle iletişim araçları1997 •
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Lighting System Optimisation Design using Solatube with GA-PID Controller2007 •
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