Disinformation, Marginalization, and Complicit News Media

Drawing on high-profile cases, this book underscores the distinct and powerful threat to marginalized groups targeted by ongoing disinformation campaigns.

It details how the right-wing media ecosystem and bad actors spread false narratives for political and economic ends and critically reflects on mainstream journalism's complicity. The authors consider a range of equity-deserving communities targeted by fallacious, harmful accounts that gain traction in the media discourse, such as the misrepresented research on the care and treatment of transgender youth, campaigns against Critical Race Theory in parts of the United States, and the misidentification of a murder suspect in the United Kingdom, which led to nationwide riots and attacks on Muslims and mosques. The central focus of the book is understanding how and why bad actors spread disinformation – and the role of news organizations in amplifying identity-based disinformation, specifically their ongoing adherence to outdated ethical norms. Space is dedicated to emerging best practices in newsgathering to identify and address disinformation.

Overall, the volume highlights the urgent need for reforms to newsgathering practices and is a key read for advanced students and researchers interested in the intersection of journalism, discrimination, and disinformation.