Co-creating Disinformation: A Theory-Based Analysis of Active Participation in (Dis)information Creation and Disinformation

• In Event: Trust and Partisanship

Abstract

Current perspectives on mis- and disinformation overwhelmingly frame the problem as one of bad actors targeting unwitting, passive victims — thereby overlooking the relatively widespread phenomenon of active, willing participation in the creation and sharing of disinformation. This article will review relevant theoretical perspectives on information-seeking and information-sharing behaviors, focusing on how individuals, social networks, and platforms work together to co-create and disseminate disinformation. A case study framework will be used to demonstrate how these processes play out on social media. The findings highlight the need for new approaches to countering mis- and disinformation that account for the motivations of active participants.

Author

• Caroline Orr Bueno, University of Maryland