Pseudo-Information, Media, Publics, and the Failing Marketplace of Ideas: Theory

Abstract

The explosive usage in recent years of the terms “fake news” and “posttruth” reflects worldwide frustration and concern about rampant social problems created by pseudo-information. Our digital networked society and newly emerging media platforms foster public misunderstanding of social affairs, which affects almost all aspects of individual life. The cost of lay citizens’ misunderstandings or crippled lay informatics can be high. Pseudo-information is responsible for deficient social systems and institutional malfunction. We thus ask questions and collect knowledge about the life of pseudo-information and the cognitive and communicative modus operandi of lay publics, as well as how to solve the problem of pseudo-information through understanding the changing media environment in this “truth-be-damned” era of information crisis.

Whom to trust? Media exposure patterns of citizens with perceptions of misinformation and disinformation related to the news media

“…Misinformation can also be regarded as an umbrella term for information that is untrue or inaccurate without being intentionally harmful or misleading (e.g. Vraga and Bode, 2020) – hereby also reflecting the more general term of ‘pseudo-information’ (Kim and Gil de Zúñiga, 2021). Misinformation can be harmful and misleading, but it does not offer a clear indication about the motivations or political agenda underlying its creation or dissemination.…”

‘Communication, that is the key’: a qualitative investigation of how essential workers with COVID-19 responded to public health information

“… 17 In the era of digital networks, this inevitably funnels people towards social media platforms, increasing exposure to misinformation and polarising opinions. 18 …”

“…17 In the era of digital networks, this inevitably funnels people towards social media platforms, increasing exposure to misinformation and polarising opinions. 18 We note calls for social media companies to regulate information deemed inaccurate, false or malicious. 19 However, that is unlikely to satisfy information needs as people will most likely default to word of mouth.…”

“You are a disgrace and traitor to our country”: incivility against “The Squad” on Twitter

“…Advocates of the protection of hate speech often point to the notion that citizens can determine for themselves what is worthy or false, and that there is room for all speech in the "marketplace of ideas" (Maddox and Malson, 2020). This notion originated in On Liberty (Kim and Gil de Z uñiga, 2021). It was further codified in the legal landscape when the term was used by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in his dissenting response to the case of Abrams vs the United States (Maddox and Malson, 2020;Papandrea, 2018).…”

“…The Holmes dissent has been used as the backbone of the marketplace of ideas to protect hate speech and proliferate the notion of freedom of expression (Papandrea, 2018). The original marketplace of ideas has expanded to include the digital space, such as social media (Kim and Gil de Z uñiga, 2021).…”