Characteristics of crisis misinformation messages on social media

Christopher M. Dobmeier*, Jessica A. Zier, Nathan Walter

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter begins with a brief historical review showing how our understanding of misinformation both is affected by and transcends social and technological evolutions. This review is followed by an attempt to define misinformation, which examines both its general features and its common taxonomies. The chapter outlines some of the psychological, sociological, and technological factors that perpetuate humans' susceptibility to misinformation. It then focuses on a series of very different case studies to illustrate how and why misinformation spreads on social media. The chapter concludes with a deceptively optimistic prognosis for social recovery. The heartbeat of any social media platform is the engagement of its user base. User engagement not only helps these platforms gain sociopolitical capital but is also necessary to sustain their business. The pitfalls of algorithmically curated social media are amplified in times of crisis, during which there is pressing demand from the public for real-time information as events unfold.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationCommunication and Misinformation
Subtitle of host publicationCrisis Events in the Age of Social Media
PublisherJohn Wiley and Sons Inc.
Pages1-15
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9781394184972
ISBN (Print)9781394184941
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 8 2025

Keywords

  • Misinformation
  • Optimistic prognosis
  • Social media
  • Social recovery
  • Sociopolitical capital
  • User base

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Arts and Humanities
  • General Social Sciences

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