Social Media and Fake News Impact on Social Movements

Abstract

Social media has become the favored digital communication channel and offers many advantages, such as spreading information faster than conventional media. However, social media's disadvantages have been the increase in fake news driven mainly by the growing digitalization of information and the increase of deepfakes. Nowadays, fake news has a new scope beyond traditional, cold war-style disinformation because of its unprecedented capacity to mobilize an assortment of news and media simultaneously. The impact of social media and fake news so dramatically impacted social movements in both Tunisia and Egypt that it is often characterized as the first social media-influenced social movement. These movements became known as the Arab Spring, which was mainly in response to oppressive regimes and low standard of living. This chapter focuses on the lead-up and impact of social media, and online-activists that influenced the Arab Spring. The authors use a narrative and exploratory research approach to conceptually understand digital communication's role and impact throughout the Arab Spring.

The Role of Mainstream and New Media in Developing Social Movements: A Case of Shahbagh Movement

“…Due to a massive surge in online content consumption on social media, business organisations, political parties, and various social groups have begun to share misinformation or fake content to influence online users and their decisions for financial and political gains (Muhammed & Mathew, 2022). Misinformation (rumours, fake news and malinformation) can disastrously affect social movements by destroying the credibility of the cause, questioning the commitment of the organisers and even may result in the failure of the movements (Webb & Emam, 2021). Mainstream news media cannot match the speed of new media as they have to fact-check or investigate stories before publication.…”