Miloš Gregor, GLCb2012
Fake News & Infodemic
Nov 7, 2023
fake news, disinformation, propaganda, etc.
‣ hybrid warfare


‣ information warfare


‣ propaganda


‣ disinformation


‣ fake news


‣ persuasion
playground
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
media transformation
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
media transformation
‣everybody can be a “journalist”


‣information and social bubbles


‣algorithms
Sorry, but we have
changed the algorithm.
media transformation
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣fun/leisure e-mails w/ jokes or recipes


‣e-mails replacing news


‣e-mails trying to get our personal information
what messages do we receive by e-mail
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣we don’t know the author

‣captain unveri
fi
ed information

‣false credibility


‣in
fl
uence on our opinions and attitudes


‣misuse of e-mail addresses and other data
risks associated with chain emails
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
„Františka znám třicet let. Ten by mi přeci nelhal.”
Proč kachnám věříme?
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣ reverse rationalization

‣ emotions :-(


‣URGENCY !!!
‣ automatic trust vs painstakingly built skepticism


‣ con
fi
rmation bias


‣ sleeper’s effect


‣ return to normal (usually in healthcare)
„A man believes what he wants to be true.”


Francis Bacon
why do we trust the chain e-mails?
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
A ball and a bat cost 110 EUR.

If the bat costs 100 EUR more than the ball,


how much does the ball cost?
why do we believe it?
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
5 EUR
(5 + 105 = 110)
why do we believe it?
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
disinformation
playground
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
Disinformation Not Disinformation
Malicious lies Truthful statement
Audio-visual disinformation Accidental falsehoods
True disinformation Jokes
Side-effect disinformation Sarcastic comments
Adaptive disinformation Accidental truths
Altruistic disinformation Implausible lies
Detrimental disinformation Satire
source: Fallis 2015, 415.


hoaxes
playground
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
hoax


hocus


hocus-pocus
conspiracy theories
playground
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
post-truth
playground
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣ qualitatively new dishonesty


‣ politicians who make up facts to suit
their narratives


‣ so-called alternative facts
post-truth on steroids
‣ an acceleration of the spread of
misleading information


‣ post-truth claim & ‘alternative facts’
went global


‣ seeking of af
fi
rmations instead of facts

‣ distrust of science & experts
infodemic:
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‘We’re not just
fi
ghting
an epidemic; we’re
fi
ghting
an infodemic.’
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,


Director-General of the WHO


February 8, 2020
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
+ WHO


+ EU
for the bigger impact of disinformation
assumptions
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣ populist (communication style) politicians


‣ polarized society


‣ chaotic communication of government


‣ weak position of experts
of misleading information
stories & narratives
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣ origin of the virus


‣ 5G


‣ prevention & cure


‣ Bill Gates, Bilderberg group


‣ vaccination
guide
best practice
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣ experts inform the public directly


‣ based on and accompanied by
empirical data


‣ clear presentation


‣ monitoring & debunking
TACKLING INFODEMIC:
VOLUME 1
(based on Eysenbach 2020)
take outs
conclusion
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
‣ crucial role of:


- political culture


- government


- experts


‣ role of social media:


- people trust their peers


- further spread, increase its legitimacy
what has changed due to the pandemic and the war?
‣ previously focus mainly on politics before crucial elections


‣ the pandemic has shown that not every doctor is an expert - more complex orientation in experts


‣ war, on the other hand, is a clear situation - Ukraine victim vs Russia the aggressor
mgregor@fss.muni.cz/ Miloš Gregor /AnselmoCZ
Thank you for your attention.
Miloš Gregor
mgregor@fss.muni.cz
AnselmoCZ