A new report by Data + Society, “Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online,” reveals how “an amalgam of conspiracy theorists, techno-libertarians, white nationalists, Men’s Rights advocates, trolls, anti-feminists, anti-immigration activists, and bored young people” used the collaborative culture of the internet to spread their beliefs and manipulate the media. This extensive report by Alice Marwick and Rebecca Lewis, outlines the complicated network of actors involved in media manipulation, the tools they used, and explains why the media was vulnerable to these behaviors.
The first step to combatting false news is understanding where it comes from and how it spreads. This report offers crucial information for understanding how to navigate and successfully engage with an increasingly complicated media terrain.
