Disinformation and Echo Chambers: How Disinformation Circulates on Social Media Through Identity-Driven Controversies

Abstract

This paper contributes to disinformation research by showing how identity-driven controversies are prime vehicles for circulating disinformation. We theorize disinformation as an engagement-driving process that encourages participation in culture wars through any argumentative means—including not only falsehoods but also truths, half-truths, and value-laden judgments—exploiting them rhetorically to contradict perceived opponents. Empirically, the study reports on the flat Earth echo chamber on YouTube, a controversial group arguing that the Earth is not round but flat. By analyzing their rhetorical strategies, this study shows how flat earthers animate and stoke identity-based grievances. As grudges intensify, back-and-forth argumentation becomes a form of ‘knowing’ in the world, which the echo chamber weaponizes rhetorically. The resulting argument becomes impervious to fact-checking because it is not about facts (logos) but grievances (pathos) and group identification (ethos). Hence, this investigation conceptualizes disinformation as rhetorical acts that persuade in and through the contradictions of identity work, thus animating and co-creating culture wars. The paper proposes a two-phase framework conceptualizing how disinformation disseminates in social media through echo chambers. In the “seeding” phase, malicious actors strategically insert deceptions, masquerading their legitimacy (e.g., fake news). In the “echoing” phase, participants co-create a confrontational fantasy that disseminates disinformation argumentatively.

Marketing to Prevent Radicalization: A First Attempt at Delimiting the Field

“…1 As eloquently explained by Lantz and Shaw (2023, p. 15), “One of the defining characteristics of contemporary radicalization is the role that online interaction frequently plays in facilitating extremist radicalization processes.” Indeed, the vast majority of radicalization stories share the same beginning and common ground. An individual is exposed to online content promoting violent radicalization through an online “echo chamber” (e.g., Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson 2023; Hamm and Spaaij 2017; Lantz and Shaw 2023; Piazza 2023). In this echo chamber, this individual is exposed to content—a convincing mixture of biased and misleading statements—that contributes to forging their self-identity, which they may be willing to defend at any cost (Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson 2023).…”

“…As marketing scholars, we should not be afraid to “dig deep” in the social networks used by extremists (Lantz and Shaw 2023; Piazza 2023) or activists providing solutions (Brouard et al 2023). At the end of the day, policy makers and marketers need to be able to develop effective counterarguing campaigns with the same level of sophistication as the campaign used by those who aim to radicalize individuals into their beliefs (Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson 2023; Frazer 2023). When studying radicalization issues, there is no such thing as too much social media research.…”

“…An individual is exposed to online content promoting violent radicalization through an online "echo chamber" (e.g., Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson 2023;Hamm and Spaaij 2017;Lantz and Shaw 2023;Piazza 2023). In this echo chamber, this individual is exposed to content-a convincing mixture of biased and misleading statements-that contributes to forging their self-identity, which they may be willing to defend at any cost (Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson 2023). For instance, the 18-year-old gunman in Buffalo spent hours immersed in the white supremacist conspiracy theory "The Great Replacement," a racist ideology originally disseminated in fringe websites that eventually found its way to more mainstream platforms.…”

“…First Domain: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson (2023) directly address the issues of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy, and these challenges are also approached in the commentaries in this issue (Lantz and Shaw 2023;Piazza 2023). Using the "flat Earth theory" echo chamber on YouTube as an empirical context, Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson (2023) study the process of disinformation occurring in online echo chambers.…”

“…First Domain: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson (2023) directly address the issues of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy, and these challenges are also approached in the commentaries in this issue (Lantz and Shaw 2023;Piazza 2023). Using the "flat Earth theory" echo chamber on YouTube as an empirical context, Diaz Ruiz and Nilsson (2023) study the process of disinformation occurring in online echo chambers. Although it is not a new phenomenon, the flat Earth theory and its proponents have experienced a surprising resurgence in recent years.…”