The miasma of misinformation: a social analysis of media, markets, and manipulation

ABSTRACT

The miasma of misinformation has become globally pervasive, infecting millions of people with false beliefs and conspiracies. This conceptual study examines the role of media in the creation, sustenance, and propagation of misinformation, by looking into the economic structuring of media industries. Traditionally, media relied on the dual product model that rendered their function of informing the public a secondary concern, as their profitability depended on expanding their viewership. Pervasiveness of misinformation in the contemporary media landscape is aided by the emerging “triple product model” as the economic logic of the digital media platforms. The valorization of the users’ data has become a lucrative “third product.” This shift in the form of communication processes takes place in social media platforms through the notion of “phatic communication,” a concept that has been underexplored by media and consumer studies literature so far.

KEYWORDS:

• Misinformation
• phatic communication
• social media
• platform capitalism
• dual product model
• triple product model

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nikhilesh Dholakia

Nikhilesh Dholakia is Professor Emeritus, University of Rhode Island (URI), and founding co-editor of Markets, Globalization & Development Review (MGDR). Dr. Dholakia's research deals with globalization, technology, innovation, market processes, and consumer culture. His current work focuses on global, social and cultural aspects of technologies that range from human-assistive to transhuman. He also explores marketing and management fields from critical angles.

Aras Ozgun

Aras Ozgun is Assistant Professor at the Cinema and Digital Media Department, İzmir University of Economics, Turkey. He also teaches at the Media Studies Graduate Program of the New School for Public Engagement, USA. Dr. Ozgun studied Political Science (B.Sc.) and Sociology (MS) at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, and Media Studies (MA) and Sociology (Ph.D.) at New School for Social Research in New York. He writes on media, culture and politics, and produces experimental media, photography and video works.

Deniz Atik

Deniz Atik is Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and founding co-editor of Markets, Globalization & Development Review (MGDR). Dr. Atik's research interest focuses on macromarketing, critical marketing, and transformative consumer research, especially theories of fashion, sustainability, and vulnerable consumers. Her work has been published in well recognized academic journals in the field of marketing. She also served as visiting professor in the USA, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, France, and as professor of marketing at İzmir University of Economics, Turkey.