Tag Archives: misinformation

New publication: entry in Elgar Encyclopedia  of Political Communication

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Elgar Encyclopedia of Political Communication

I have an entry in the Elgar Encyclopedia of Political Communication, which was published this week.

In ‘Belief Echoes’, I explore how and why people continue to believe false information. This occurs even when the information has been debunked or fact-checked. I draw on examples from my own research on Northern Ireland and the COVID-19 pandemic. These examples show that a small proportion of the population often remain within epistemic bunkers. These bunkers revolve around misinformation and half-truths.

Many thanks to the editors (Alessandro Nai, Max Grömping, and Dominique Wirz). They worked hard to bring together the 430+ entries from 570+ authors in the Encyclopedia.

The preprint version of my entry can be read here.

France 24 interview on how neo-nazis exploit disasters for misinformation

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Donald Trump criticised for spreading misinformation about Hurricane Hélène

Last week I spoke to Sebastian Seibt from France 24. We talked about how neo-Nazi groups were using Hurricane Hélène. They aimed to show themselves as civil society actors, amplifying misinformation and conspiracy theories about the relief efforts favouring migrants.

I argued that the misinformation spread by US Presidential candidate Donald Trump was very damaging. His false claims about the Biden administration not supporting victims influenced the behavior of vulnerable citizens. They were more likely to turn to extremist groups like Patriotic Front for information and support than the authorities. In effect, they exploited this crisis to rebrand themselves as legitimate, credible actors.

Many thanks to Sebastian for the invitation. 

The article can be read (in French) here.

Publication: entry on Belief Echoes in forthcoming Encyclopedia of Political Communication

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Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

I am delighted to share a preprint copy of my entry in the forthcoming Elgar Encyclopedia of Political Communication, to be published in 2025.

In ‘Belief Echoes’, I explore how and why people continue to believe false information even when it has been debunked or factchecked. I draw on examples from my own research on Northern Ireland and the COVID-19 pandemic to show how there is often a small proportion of the population who continue to remain within epistemic bunkers revolving around misinformation and half-truths.

Many thanks to the editors (Alessandro Nai, Max Grömping, and Dominique Wirz) for all their work bringing together the 430+ entries (from 570+ authors) in the Encyclopedia. I look forward to reading the final version when it’s out early next year.

The preprint version of my entry can be read here.

Interviewed for The National on social media and protests in Glasgow

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Article in The National, 8 August 2024

On Wednesday I spoke to Hamish Morrison from The National about the list of far-right protests in Scotland circulated on social media. We discussed how far-right groups used apps like Telegram to organise, the threat of misinformation during the recent riots in England, and how best to respond to false information circulating online.

Thanks to Hamish and Charlotte Morris for the invitation. The article can be read here.

Interviewed by France 24 on role of social media in English riots

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Van on fire during the 2024 Southport Riots CC BY 3.0

Yesterday I spoke to Sebastian Seibt from France 24 about the role of social media in the riots seen in English towns and cities over the past week.

We discussed the role of public figures, journalists and influencers in amplifying misinformation that contributed to the violence. I suggested that it was too early to tell whether Russian disinformation agents had played a key role in the spread of false information about the Southport attacker.

Many thanks to Sebastian for the invitation.

The article can be read (in French) here.

Participant in BBC Radio Ulster Talkback debate on misinformation and the UK General Election

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Photo by Joshua Miranda on Pexels.com

Yesterday I participated in a segment on BBC Radio Ulster Talkback about the misinformation and the 2024 UK General Election. Presented by William Crawley, I joined Claire Graham and Orna Young and to discuss how best to identify misinformation circulated via online platforms, how easy it is to do so, and the potential use of deepfake technologies to alter speeches made by politicians.

You can listen to the segment below

Part 1

Part 2

Many thanks to William, Kerry, Zahra and the Talkback team for the invitation to participate. 

Article in The Conversation about social media protections and peacebuilding

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I have a new article published in the Conversation UK. In this piece, I argue that the removal of guardrails and safety measures from online platforms makes it harder to promote reconciliation in deeply-divided societies. Drawing on examples such as my own work on Northern Ireland, I suggest that commercial platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) are not the best place to promote peace. Perhaps a public service internet would be a more suitable forum in which to reconcile former antagonists.

Many thanks to Charlotte Morris, Dale Berning Saw and the Conversation UK for their feedback and assistance in getting this published.

The article can be read here

Yorkshire Post interview about COVID-19 misinformation

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Yorkshire Post special issue on COVID-19, 30 January 2021.

I was interviewed last week for an article that appeared in Saturday’s edition of the Yorkshire Post. As part of their special news report to mark the anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was asked to comment on the impact of misinformation on vaccine hesitancy, and the reasons why people may believe false information about the virus and its treatment.

Article on misinformation and impact on vaccine take-up

The article can be read here. Many thanks to Geri Scott for her time and the interview.

Essay on role of online disinformation in Capitol Building invasion

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Photo by Michael Judkins on Pexels.com

I have an essay in Human:Putting the Social into Science on the role of online disinformation and US President Donald Trump in the violent scenes at the US Capitol Building last week. I argue that the pro-Trump mob are a manifestation of an information crisis fed by Trump, which has created an alternative reality in which the unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud are believed to be true. I argue that political leaders should be wary of legitimising ‘fake news’ given that they may undermine trust in the institutions they purport to represent. Thanks to Laura Lightfinch and Victoria Wood for their help with this. The piece can be read here

Article on COVID-19 infodemic in France Forum

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I have had an article published in the most recent edition of France Forum. I argue that we all have a responsibility to verify information about COVID-19 before we share it online. I also suggest we should be wary of the misinformation about the pandemic shared by politicians, which has the potential to hamper efforts to flatten the curve.

Many thanks to Marc Foucault and Elisabeth Cazeaux for the invitation to write this piece. An English language version can be read below.