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.