ICYMI: Reconsidering the Fight Against Disinformation

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techpolicy.press
Reconsidering the Fight Against Disinformation
Théophile Lenoir on new avenues of reflection for thinking about how best to consider the problem of disinformation.
10:42 AM · Aug 9, 2022

https://techpolicy.press/reconsidering-the-fight-against-disinformation/

On May 25th, 2022 in Paris, a group of notable media and communications scholars met at Sciences Po for a pre-conference before the annual International Communications Association (ICA) event. The titular prompt for the pre-conference was a question that has preoccupied researchers for some time now: “What comes after disinformation studies?” (The day’s program can be found here).

The pre-conference was prompted by concern among these scholars about the limits of what they regard as “the disinformation narrative,” which portrays information ecosystems, democracy and disinformation mostly through a liberal world-view. The pre-conference aimed at reframing the field of disinformation studies by identifying “the importance of historical contextual and geopolitical approaches” for understanding the relationships between truth, power and politics.

This article is an effort to share some of the arguments and conceptual frameworks discussed during the pre-conference. Translating academic language is always challenging, and some of the points below are considerable simplifications of more nuanced ideas. I hope the scholars present on May 25th will still recognize their views. My aim here is to help policymakers and others outside academia explore new avenues of reflection for thinking about how best to consider the problem of disinformation.

Countering the Consensus on Disinformation

Before thinking about what comes after disinformation studies, let’s first quickly rewind and think about the growth of the field over the last few years. The Brexit referendum in 2015 and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 made disinformation a hot topic of research and policy concern. With a new wave of public and foundation funding, scientists opened research centers, think tanks designed new programs and fellowships, governments built independent agencies, and legislatures developed new policies and regulations to mitigate the threat. This myriad of actors (including myself) were mobilized by a deep concern about the impact of disinformation on democracy.

*snip*

[TigressDem]

1. OK - Optics of studying "disinformation" maybe?

BECAUSE.... it's liberals who WANT the facts and evidence to be viewed with historical context.

My FEAR is that they are in danger of losing funding if they don't address "geopolitical approaches" whatever that means.

The pre-conference was prompted by concern among these scholars about the limits of what they regard as “the disinformation narrative,” which portrays information ecosystems, democracy and disinformation mostly through a liberal world-view. The pre-conference aimed at reframing the field of disinformation studies by identifying “the importance of historical contextual and geopolitical approaches” for understanding the relationships between truth, power and politics.


OR don't say "disinformation narrative" (like don't say Defund Police)

SAY something that actually means the same thing but doesn't freak out the average Republican so they can be exposed to facts and brought away from the prison of propaganda built up around them.