Digital Falsehoods and their Analog Consequences: The “Fake News” Strategy and its Mitigation.

Abstract

Governments worldwide struggle with “fake news” and disinformation. While “fake news” is not an accurate term, it is critical in describing the intentionally disruptive propaganda or disinformation using a news media format. “Fake news” may be executed by malevolent state-level or grassroots actors to disrupt elections and civic life. Current discourses often misidentify “fake news” as simply wrong information, rather than evaluate political motivations for its spread and identify the groups vulnerable to its influence. As more cities strive to adopt an “MIL cities” mandate, the means to tackle misinformation must be included to ensure efficacy. This paper evaluates the dangers of neutral conceptions of “fake news” to MIL, and why addressing discontent rather than disinformation is a better approach for reducing the harms of “fake news.