Understanding fake news: Technology, affects, and the politics of the untruth

Abstract

This paper provides epistemic and conceptual tools for a better understanding of fake news. It begins by looking for a definition of fake news that distinguishes between fabricated news stories and biased claims, showing that fake news stricto sensu is less frequent and influential than expected. Then a multicausal account is provided that identifies six main drivers for the multiplication and spread of fabricated news: erosion of truth, digitization, changes in journalism, digital illiteracy, emotional biases, rise of populism. Finally, the implications of fake news for democracy are explored. It is suggested that fakes, their statistical irrelevance notwithstanding, contribute to the weakening of trust and the epistemic disorientation of citizens in a digitized public sphere.