Democracy, information, and libraries in a time of post-truth discourse

Abstract

Purpose -To serve their clients in a time of post-truth discourse and fake news, librarians need to understand the post-truth phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to examine it, what is being done in response to it, and specifically what libraries can do. Design/methodology/approach -Recent literature on the post-truth phenomenon was examined. Traditional assumptions about the role of libraries in promoting democracy were questioned and an alternative view was put forward. Libraries' responses to the post-truth phenomenon were examined and critically discussed. Findings -Traditional assumptions about the role of libraries and information and democracy are outdated. The susceptibility of people to false beliefs and the persistence of these beliefs in spite of corrective information, is the product of many factors, including the evolving media ecosystem and psychosocial processes which are the subject of ongoing empirical research. It not primarily an information or knowledge deficit, hence there are no simple antidotes to fake news. Libraries need to rethink their responses. Research limitations -The article deals with very recent developments and relies heavily on informal online resources. Practical implications -Relevant library activities are examined and suggestions are made for developing appropriate library responses. Originality/value -At time of writing this was the first attempt in the library management literature to engage in a systematic and thoughtful manner with the literature on the post-truth phenomenon.

A Systematic Review on Fake News Themes Reported in Literature

“…Traditional methods of acquiring information have nearly vanished to pave the way for social media platforms [2]. It was reported in 2017 that Facebook was the largest social media platform, hosting more 1.9 million users world-wide [18]. The role of Facebook in the spreading of fake news possibly has the biggest impact from all the social media platforms [14].…”

“…The lack of related information in online communities could lead to individuals sharing the information based on the opinions and behaviours of others [23]. Some studies show that social media users will seek out or share information that reaffirms their beliefs or attitudes [18].…”

“…The spreading of false political information have increased due to the emergence of streamline media environments [22]. There has been a considerable amount of research done on the influence of fake news on the political environment [14,18]. By creating false political statements, voters can be convinced or persuaded to change their opinions [3].…”

Libraries and Fake News: What’s the Problem? What’s the Plan?

“…13, NO. 1, 2019 Other ills of which fake news is a symptom include the loss of trust in expertise (Gibson & Jacobson, 2018;Lor, 2018) or the media (Alvarez, 2016;Rochlin, 2017); the relativism of our supposedly post-truth era (Baer, 2018;Batchelor, 2017;Becker, 2016;Bluemle, 2018;Cooke, 2017;Johnson, 2017;Lor, 2018;Rochlin, 2017); and deepening political polarization (Gibson & Jacobson, 2018;Loertscher 2017). Perhaps underlying all of these are the "preexisting beliefs, attitudes, and biases" (Baer, 2018, p. 75) to which we are susceptible.…”

“…Political scientists are still coming to terms with this conceptual shift (Nyhan & Reifler, 2012), and librarians need to wrestle with the implications as well (Sullivan, 2018). Fortunately, there have been promising discussions in the fake news context (Lor, 2018) and in LIS more generally (Buschman, 2018).…”