Fake News und Desinformation

Abstract

Disinformation has long been a tool used in political communication. However, with the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and in the run-up to Britain’s ‘Brexit’ from the European Union, deliberately falsified news gained a whole new social meaning. Now, the devastating effects false reports can have on democratic systems have become visible. This book explores this phenomenon by defining what ‘fake news’ really is. It examines how, why and by whom it is used and reflects on what can be done about it, both on a societal and personal level. To this end, the book provides an overview of the state of empirical research into fake news and disinformation, particularly with regard to their dissemination, recognisability and effectiveness. At the same time, it discusses the challenges disinformation poses to our society in a mixture of essays, theoretical discussions and empirical studies, which explore the topic from all sides.