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The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

Jan-Willem van Prooijen

London; New York: Routledge (2018), ix, 108 pp.

"Who believes in conspiracy theories, and why are some people more susceptible to them than others? What are the consequences of such beliefs? Has a conspiracy theory ever turned out to be true? The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories debunks the myth that conspiracy theories are a modern phenomenon, ... more

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Defining “Fake News”: A Typology of Scholarly Definitions

Edson C. Tandoc Jr., Zheng Wei Lim, Richard Ling

Digital Journalism, issue 6 (2018), pp. 137-153

"This paper is based on a review of how previous studies have defined and operationalized the term “fake news.” An examination of 34 academic articles that used the term “fake news” between 2003 and 2017 resulted in a typology of types of fake news: news satire, news parody, fabrication, man ... more

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The fake news game: Actively inoculating against the risk of misinformation

Jon Roozenbeek, Sander van der Linden

Journal of Risk Research, volume 22, issue 5 (2018), pp. 570-580

"The rapid spread of online misinformation poses an increasing risk to societies worldwide. To help counter this, we developed a ‘fake news game’ in which participants are actively tasked with creating a news article about a strongly politicized issue (the European refugee crisis) using misleadi ... more

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Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines
Top Insights

Jonathan Corpus Ong, Jason Vincent A. Cabañes

Newton Tech4Dev Network;University of Leeds;British Council (2018), 74 pp.

"The study explains how strategists set campaign objectives based on input from their political clients, then delegate political marketing responsibility to a team of digital influencers and fake account operators. These operators infiltrate online communities, artificially trend hashtags to hijack ... more

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A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Disinformation: Report of the Independent High Level Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation
Top Insights

Luxembourg: European Union (2018), 39 pp.

"In this report, we favour the word “disinformation” over “fake news.” Disinformation, as used in the Report, includes all forms of false, inaccurate, or misleading information designed, presented and promoted to intentionally cause public harm or for profit. Our main message is that the bes ... more

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#DigitalDeceit: The Technologies Behind Precision Propaganda on the Internet

Dipayan Ghosh, Ben Scott

New America (2018), 37 pp.

"This analysis of digital advertising technology and its relevance to disinformation online is designed to broaden the focus in the current public debate beyond Russian operatives buying ads on social media. The problem is much bigger than that and the issues of concern are more diverse. Our analysi ... more

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Dangerous Disinformation

D+C: Development and Cooperation, issue May (2018), pp. 23-38

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The Oxygen of Amplification: Better Practices for Reporting on Extremists, Antagonists, and Manipulators Online

Whitney Phillips

Data & Society Research Institute (2018), 128 pp.

"Part One, 'In Their Own Words: Trolling, Meme Culture, and Journalists’ Reflections on the 2016 US Presidential Election,' provides a historical overview of the relationship between the news media and far-right manipulators during the 2016 US presidential election. Part Two, 'At a Certain Point Y ... more

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Russian Social Media Influence: Understanding Russian Propaganda in Eastern Europe

Todd C. Helmus, Elizabeth Bodine-Baron, Andrew Radin, Mdeline Magnuson, Joshua Mendelsohn, William Marcellino, Andriy Bega, Zev Winkelman

Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation (2018), xvii, 130 pp.

"A RAND Corporation study examined Russian-language content on social media and the broader propaganda threat posed to the region of former Soviet states that include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and, to a lesser extent, Moldova and Belarus. In addition to employing a state-funded multilingu ... more

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State of the Newsroom 2017: Fakers and Makers

Alan Finlay (ed.)

Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand, Wits Journalism (2018), iv, 60 pp.

"The fourth annual report looks at jobs in the newsroom, fake news and fact-checking journalism, and highlights the problem of threats to media freedom in South Africa. In a survey conducted across a range of newsrooms both big and small, it found that young, black women journalists are more likely ... more

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Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation
Top Insights

Samantha Bradshaw, Philip N. Howard

Oxford: University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute (2018), 25 pp.

"Our key findings are: 1. We have found evidence of formally organized social media manipulation campaigns in 48 countries, up from 28 countries last year. In each country there is at least one political party or government agency using social media to manipulate public opinion domestically; 2. Much ... more

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Online Supplement to Working Paper 2018.1. Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation

Samantha Bradshaw, Philip N. Howard

Oxford: University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute;Computational Propaganda Research Project (2018), 81 pp.

"These are the background case notes complied for MEMO 2018.1: Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation. For details on the methods behind this content analysis please see the methodology section of the report. This document contains data from over 500 s ... more

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Journalism, ‘Fake News’ & Disinformation: Handbook for Journalism Education and Training
Key Guidance

Cherilyn Ireton, Julie Posetti (eds.)

Paris: UNESCO (2018), 128 pp.

"This handbook seeks to provide an internationally-relevant model curriculum, open to adoption or adaptation, which responds to the emerging global problem of disinformation that confronts societies in general, and journalism in particular. Serving as a model curriculum, the publication is designed ... more

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Disinformation Toolkit

Sarah Oh, Travis L. Adkins

Washington, DC: InterAction (2018), 27 pp.

"As the largest alliance of U.S.-based nonprofits that work around the world, we believe it is critical to raise awareness about the evolving threat of online disinformation. Whether our members are providing emergency assistance to people fleeing conflicts, promoting democratic governance in places ... more

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Understanding Russian Communication Strategy: Case Studies of Serbia and Estonia

Stefan Meister (ed.)

Stuttgart: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) (2018), 60 pp.

"As a part of Russian soft (or coercive) power disinformation and propaganda have become key elements in an updated Russian security policy since 2012/13. For Russian leadership disinformation and propaganda have become key instruments to impact domestic debates in EU member states and in the neighb ... more

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Désinformation 2.0: Comment défendre la démocratie?

Boris Barraud

Paris: L'Harmattan (2018), 253 pp.

"Les nouvelles technologies permettent aux diverses formes de manipulation de l’information de toucher de vastes publics. Chaque citoyen-internaute devient un acteur des manoeuvres de désinformation, en particulier en les relayant sur les réseaux sociaux. Internet constitue ainsi une révolution ... more

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Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation, and Radicalization in American Politics

Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris, Hal Roberts

New York, NY: Oxford University Press (2018), ix, 462 pp.

"Analysing millions of news stories together with Twitter and Facebook shares, broadcast television and YouTube, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the architecture of contemporary American political communications. Through data analysis and detailed qualitative case studies of coverage o ... more

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Fakten statt Fakes: Verursacher, Verbreitungswege und Wirkungen von Fake News im Bundestagswahlkampf 2017

Alexander Sängerlaub, Miriam Meier, Wolf-Dieter Rühl

Berlin: Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (2018), 102 pp.

"Ziel dieser Studie ist es, empirische Fakten und Hintergründe zum Phänomen Fake-News in Deutschland zu liefern. Der Fokus der Untersuchung liegt darauf, wer an der Entstehung und Verbreitung von Fake News in der digitalen Öffentlichkeit beteiligt ist, wie groß die Reichweiten und wie erfolgreic ... h die Gegenmaßnahmen, zum Beispiel das sogenannte “Debunking” der Fact-Checker, sind. Über einen Zeitraum von sechs Monaten bis zur Bundestagswahl am 24. September 2017 wurden dafür zehn Fake-News-Fälle mit nationaler Reichweite beobachtet, ausgewählt und untersucht. Die Datenbasis war dabei umfassend; untersucht werden konnte ein Großteil der deutschen Online-Öffentlichkeit: öffentlich zugänglichen Facebook-Seiten waren demnach ebenso Bestandteil, der deutschsprachige Twitterraum, aber auch Online-Nachrichtenseiten, Blogs, Foren und die Videoplattform YouTube. Die Untersuchung der Fake News, die zur Bundestagswahl 2017 in Deutschland geteilt wurden, birgt Überraschungen. Einige zuvor medial geäußerte Befürchtungen traten so nicht ein. Weder zeigte unsere empirische Untersuchung viele Fake News aus Russland, die in der Öffentlichkeit signifikante Verbreitung fanden, noch zeigten sich bedeutende Vorgänge aus dem linkspopulistischen Raum. Auch inhaltlich gab es kaum erfolgreiche Desinformation, die sich beispielsweise mit den beiden Spitzenkandidat:innen von SPD und CDU/CSU befassen. Fake News, so wie sich das Phänomen in Deutschland empirisch darstellt, werden vor allem von Rechten, Rechtspopulist:innen und Rechtsextremen verbreitet. Dabei bildet die AfD die Speerspitze der Verbreitung, in sieben von zehn von uns dokumentierten Fällen ist sie unter den Top-10 der reichweitenstärksten Verbreiter. Das rechtspopulistische Netzwerk ist jedoch größer und besonders in den sozialen Netzwerken (allen voran: Facebook) aktiv. Hierzu zählen Medien, wie die Epoch Times, genauso wie rechte Blogs. Doch nicht alle Fake News gehen allein auf das Konto der Social-Media-Kanäle à la Facebook und Twitter: Auch redaktionelle, “klassische” Medien spielen eine Rolle. Mal als versehentlicher Katalysator, mal als bewusster Auslöser, zumeist allerdings als kritisches Korrektiv und Richtigsteller falscher Informationen, wie Süddeutsche.de oder der Faktenfinder der ARD. Andere Medien dagegen machen sich auffallend oft zum Verbreiter von Fake News, wie Bild.de oder Welt.de. Unsauberes Arbeiten betrifft in zwei Fällen auch die dpa, die Deutsche Presse-Agentur, die vor allem eine unrühmliche Rolle bei der Verbreitung der Fake News zum Volksfest in Schorndorf einnahm. Neben Medienhäusern sind zudem staatliche Stellen oder Behörden bei der Verbreitung beteiligt und können selbst zum Auslöser von Fake News werden. Schuld daran ist oft unprofessionelle oder mindestens sorglose Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, ob von der Polizei auf Twitter oder bei der Auskunft staatlicher Stellen gegenüber Medien. In allen von uns dokumentierten Fällen nutzen rechtspopulistische Akteure diese Ungenauigkeiten und instrumentalisieren diese für ihre ideologische Kampagne als Teil ihrer Kommunikationsstrategie. Thematisch bewegen sich die untersuchten Falschinformationen vor allem im Themenfeld “Flüchtlinge und Kriminalität”. Die Flüchtlingskrise, die auch eines der großen Themen der letzten Bundestagswahl war, dominiert demnach unsere Cases: 8 der 10 Fake News haben das Thema „Flüchtlinge“. Insgesamt erzielen Fake News im Vergleich zu regulären Nachrichten klassischer Medien in der Regel nur überschaubare Reichweiten, es sei denn, klassische Medien sind bei der Verbreitung beteiligt. Die große Fake News – das ist die gute Nachricht – blieb in Deutschland aus. Gründe dafür sind zum einen hohe Vertrauenswerte in das hiesige Mediensystem, aber auch die weitaus geringere Bedeutung der Social-Media-Kanäle als Informationsquelle im Vergleich zu den USA. Die stärkste im Rahmen dieser Studie gemessene Fake News betraf eine Meldung über ein Volksfest in der badenwürttembergischen Stadt Schorndorf, auf dem “angeblich 1.000 Migranten randaliert hätten”, so das Narrativ der Fake News. Sie erzeugte ein Engagement von etwa 500.000, dies bedeutet, dass allein eine halbe Million Nutzer:innenaktivitäten in Form von Shares, Likes oder Comments in den Sozialen Netzwerken messbar waren." (Executive summary) more

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Anti-Western Propaganda

Tamar Kintsurashvili

Tblisi: Media Development Foundation (MDF);UN Association of Georgia;USAID (2018), 38 pp.

"As many as 1,967 anti-Western comments were detected in the 17 monitored media outlets in 2017. In contrast to 2016 and 2015, when negative messages targeted human identity and rights, in 2017, a dominant topic was the foreign policy with the messages aimed at increasing the polarization on the for ... eign policy orientation of the country. This change in the strategic communication of pro-Kremlin actors shows that “loss of identity” was a rather tactical message that prepared the ground, while the messaging aimed at demonizing Georgia’s strategic partners (USA, NATO, EU) is of strategic nature. The United States of America accounted for the highest share of negative comments (25.9%), up by almost three times as compared to the previous year, followed by NATO (18,4%) and the West (14,1%). Compared to 2016, messages against the European Union have almost doubled (13.4%) whereas the comments about the loss of identity and human rights in anti-Western context have almost halved (12.9%). Comments against nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and the US philanthropist George Soros have trebled, as compared to 2016, and comprised 7.3%; this increase can be explained by a stepped up activity of far-right groups and their campaign to smear Open Society Georgia Foundation. Yet another change as compared to the previous years were clearer messages showcasing Russia as an alternative to the West and idealizing the Soviet system (7.2%). Comments against Great Britain (0,8%) have been mainly detected in two pro-Kremlin online media outlets – Georgia and the World, and Sakinformi. Alike previous years, the main source of anti-Western messages was media (827), followed by politicians (463), society (411), civil organizations (230) and the clergy (37). The structure of the Kremlin narrative in the Georgian discourse consists of three stages and aims at: 1. Creating threats; 2. Sowing distrust towards partners and Western institutions; 3. Ingraining a belief that Russia is the only option in fighting against the threats and that authoritative/Soviet-style governance is necessary. Four major threats were emphasized by pro-Kremlin actors: threat of war; threat of loss of territories; threat of bio subversion; threat of loss of identity." (Key findings, page 7) more

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A Short Guide to the History of ’Fake News’ and Disinformation: A Learning Module for Journalists and Journalism Educators

Julie Posetti, Alice Matthews

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) (2018), 19 pp.

"This learning module designed to be used by journalists, journalism trainers and educators (along with their students) provides historical context for the analysis of the 21st century ‘fake news’ crisis. Relevant case studies and a timeline are designed to better inform users about the causes a ... more

Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines Top Insights

A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Disinformation: Report of the Independent High Level Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation Top Insights

Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation Top Insights

Journalism, ‘Fake News’ & Disinformation: Handbook for Journalism Education and Training Key Guidance

Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines
Top Insights

A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Disinformation: Report of the Independent High Level Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation
Top Insights

Challenging Truth and Trust: A Global Inventory of Organized Social Media Manipulation
Top Insights

Journalism, ‘Fake News’ & Disinformation: Handbook for Journalism Education and Training
Key Guidance