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Disinformation activities that aim to manipulate public opinion pose serious challenges to managing online platforms. One of the most widely used disinformation techniques is bot-assisted fake social engagement, which is used to falsely and quickly amplify the salience of information at scale. Based on agenda-setting theory, we hypothesize that bot-assisted fake social engagement boosts public attention in the manner intended by the manipulator. Leveraging a proven case of bot-assisted fake social engagement operation in a highly trafficked news portal, this study examines the impact of fake social engagement on the digital public's news consumption, search activities, and political sentiment. For that purpose, we used ground-truth labels of the manipulator's bot accounts, as well as real-time clickstream logs generated by ordinary public users. Results show that bot-assisted fake social engagement operations disproportionately increase the digital public's attention to not only the topical domain of the manipulator's interest (i.e., political news) but also to specific attributes of the topic (i.e., political keywords and sentiment) that align with the manipulator's intention. We discuss managerial and policy implications for increasingly cluttered online platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A person's rights to freedom of speech and access to information have undergone significant changes in the legislative approach, now they are the basic digital rights of a person. The article describes the current state of legal regulation of the media sphere and explains the legislator's understanding of online media and the possibility of legal regulation of social networks, which, according to current legislation, are named as platforms for sharing information and video. Main attention is paid to the Telegram platform, which although it is not currently a subject in the media sphere, but it is rapidly gaining momentum throughout the world and is the most popular in Ukraine, which make a significant impact on the Ukrainian information space. The article describes all risks that are associated with the use of the platform for the user and for national security in general. They are platform connection with Russia, the lack of a transparent ownership structure, as well as the lack of proper protection of personal data and other information about users. Another problem for Ukrainian national security is anonymous Telegram channels and the huge amount of disinformation that spreads by them. The article analysed European media regulation acts, which were recently adopted. Also, Ukrainian draft law, which aims to regulate the Telegram activity and other online platforms on the territory of Ukraine, was also studied. As a result of this reserch the authors come to the conclusion about the insufficiency of the introduction of the rules of reasonable Telegram use and the need to ban this platform on the territory of Ukraine, as it was done with Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki platforms (already banned on the territory of Ukraine). After all, only a complete ban on services related to the Russia can protect national security and will not harm the rights of its users to freedom of speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ireland’s Electoral Reform Act introduces several key provisions under Parts 4 and 5 which are designed to curtail the spread of misleading electoral communications. This article’s focus is on how these provisions enable divergence from established EU standards surrounding intermediary liability for harmful online communications. Identifying how the application of these provisions may undermine the right to freedom of expression under EU law, this article further distils the applicable principles which should inform how online platforms limit access to misleading information in electoral settings. This article filters these principles from applicable case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Drawing from the analytical approaches of these courts to false electoral communications, this article not only assesses how Ireland’s Electoral Reform Act may undermine the right to freedom of expression but also provides a template for how EU and Member State legislation in the disinformation field can promote compatibility with human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covert repression techniques, such as the use of digital technologies in surveillance, censorship and disinformation, have become a pervasive tool of autocracies worldwide. This research note discusses one of the possible explanatory factors fostering covert repression: autocratic linkages. Building on policy-learning, autocratic regional integration and linkages literature, this research note asks the following question: How can strong linkages with each other help autocracies achieve high levels of covert repression? By using Kazakhstan as a typical case of an informational autocracy, three possible causal channels through which autocratic linkages could impact covert repression are proposed: policy-learning, preferential trade in repression tech and preferential provision of expertise. In doing so, the note aims to encourage more comparative and process-tracing-based research on the role of autocratic linkages in authoritarian repression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Special Issue shows that narratives of domination are political storytelling that promises its audience that ‘becoming the people' is possible via a shared history that can continue to exist if an obscure ‘they’ and its subjectivity are obliterated. Nowadays, systematic killings and starvation of Palestinians, rampant attacks and murdering Muslims in Britain and Queer peoples in the USA are good examples of why listening closely to political storytelling is called for. It has become paramount to listen closely to political storytelling, its dehumanisation and inhuman capacities and distortion of historical facts since 7th October 2023. The suffering and struggles of Palestinians, the destruction of Gaza and the genocide are misused to either mobilise and appease right wing populism in Western Europe (especially the Netherlands and Germany) or mobilise religious populism in states where Islam is constitutionally acknowledged primary religion (especially Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan). Listening closely to political storytelling is about teasing out populism as doing politics rather than thin fables emerging from misinformation and disinformation or deception and malintention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian-Ukrainian war (RUW) is responsible for extensive individual suffering and a socio-economic impact on the world and is reshaping global affairs. Many studies have focused on direct exposure to conflict and several public health policies have been devised. Nonetheless, indirect exposure through media has received minimal attention and there is limited evidence that mental health symptoms and disorders may arise as a result. We explored the role of voluntary or involuntary media-based exposure to the RUW on individuals' mental health including stress symptoms, coping strategies, daily functioning, and worries across demographic variables. In our sample, subjects with involuntary and higher amount of exposure seem to have higher stress symptoms. Also, those who had previous ruminations on war issues could be at risk of developing more post-traumatic stress symptoms. Therefore, media appears to be a conduit that spreads negative consequences of community trauma beyond directly affected communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid concerns over algorithmic gatekeeping and the power of digital platforms to serve as engines for polarization and disinformation, we examined the performance of algorithmic recommendation systems as news intermediaries by crowdsourcing search results about newsworthy topics. This study offers a crowdsourced audit of the recommendations made by Google, Google News, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to ideologically, geographically, and demographically diverse U.S. participants (N = 1,598), examining the extent to which search algorithms on major platforms personalized results and drove traffic to particular kinds of websites. The findings of our cross-platform analysis show that rather than creating filter bubbles, the sorting mechanisms on platforms strongly homogenize exposure to information, at least among its top results. This effect was evident across search terms and platforms. At the same time, each platform prioritizes different types of content, with professionally produced news dominant on some platforms but not others, and politically conservative mainstays like Fox News being particularly recurrent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 crisis, many social media influencers (SMIs) discussed the pandemic on their channels and showcased their behavior in dealing with the virus. Drawing on the two-step flow of communication and social learning theory, we investigated the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of SMIs' COVID-19-related communication in a two-wave panel survey among emerging adults aged 16–21 years (NT1 = 978, NT2 = 415). Our results contribute to the health communication literature by discovering that institutional mistrust determines whether young people resort to SMIs as an information source for COVID-19-related information. Those with higher mistrust in established media organizations and the government were more likely to consult SMIs for COVID-19-related information and to consider them as role models when exposed to relevant content. Moreover, consulting SMIs who promote noncompliance as a COVID-19 information source was over time related to lower vaccination intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores pranking as a novel form of manipulative communication in global politics, focusing on the Russian state-aligned phone pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov (Vovan) and Alexey Stolyarov (Lexus). Since 2014, the duo has duped over 200 prominent Western critics of the Kremlin into discussing Russia-related topics. Russian media and officials frame these pranks as exposing Western elites' duplicity and Russophobia, while Western media and politicians use them to ridicule their fooled competitors. The pranksters aim to bolster Russian domestic support for the Kremlin's foreign endeavors and undermine the West by deepening its internal divisions. The article conceptualizes and empirically examines state-sponsored pranking within the broader context of Russia's challenge to the liberal order, contributing to the understanding of Russian power dynamics, Russia-West relations, and global political communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disinformation is multiplied through social networks, and many hoaxes show Russian interests, to the extent that the US and the European Union qualify RT and Sputnik as media outlets for the circulation of false facts. This research aims to identify the disinformation generated by RT and Sputnik related to Ecuador in audiovisual media and social networks. The methodology is qualitative and quantitative, descriptive in scope. It is evident that Russian disinformation is present in the country, especially online. It is important to promote media literacy and open a debate on regulation that promotes freedom of expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article draws an updated picture of the regulation and case-law on online speech, with a particular focus on the United States. It considers the most important regulatory innovations, several significant cases, and the main positions in the public debate, not only academic. The perspective offered is different from the most popular approaches to the regulation of the subject, and includes a reflection about whether the large platforms hosting user-generated content remain exclusively private entities, or if they should be subject to certain rules provided for the public administration. The conclusion reflects on the intersections that occur online between freedom of expression, 'economic speech' and freedom of economic initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In information environments characterized by institutional distrust, fragmentation and the widespread dissemination of conspiracies and disinformation, citizens perceive misinformation as a salient and threatening issue. Especially amidst disruptive events and crises, news users are likely to believe that information is inaccurate or deceptive. Using an original 19‐country comparative survey study across diverse regions in the world (N = 19,037), we find that news users are likely to regard information on the Russian war in Ukraine as false. They are more likely to attribute false information to deliberative deception than to a lack of access to the war area or inaccurate expert knowledge. Russian sources are substantially more likely to be blamed for falsehoods than Ukrainian or Western sources – but these attribution biases depend on a country's position on the war. Our findings reveal that people mostly believe that falsehoods are intended to deceive them, and selectively associate misinformation with the opposed camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with populist radical-right (PRR) attitudes seem particularly inclined to spread disinformation. However, it is unclear whether this is due to the large amount of disinformation with a PRR bias or a general tendency to perceive disinformation as credible and/or spread it further. This study explores (1) effects of a PRR bias on perceived message credibility and likelihood of spreading disinformation, (2) the extent to which perceived message credibility mediates the spread of disinformation, (3) effects of PRR attitudes on the perceived message credibility of biased disinformation, and (4) whether a PRR bias of disinformation explains the spread of disinformation by individuals with PRR attitudes despite a lack of credibility. An online experimental study (N = 572) in Germany showed that the spread of disinformation is mediated by perceived message credibility of disinformation. PRR attitudes positively predict perceived message credibility regardless of whether it is biased or unbiased disinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on a critical review of the existing literature on computational propaganda and disinformation, and employing a three-stage process—addressing the "New Wine in Old Bottles" problem, extracting foundational concepts, and constructing a four-pillar framework—this article proposes an expanded theory of propaganda. The theory posits that digital propaganda is shaped by four key dimensions: politico-economic, sociocultural, technological, and socio-psychological, further delineated by the forces of commodification, privatization, connectivity, and virality. Broadening the analytical scope, it encompasses intricate interactions among politics, content, actors, platforms, and goals, recognizing the dynamic complexities inherent in the digital landscape. Furthermore, it sheds light on how commercial interests impact the production and dissemination of propaganda, offering insights into the propagation of popular ideologies such as patriotism and populism. This advances the understanding of digital propaganda's pervasive impact on political discourse and societal attitudes, encouraging broader global research beyond a focus on state actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication faces significant challenges due to an increasing polarization of public discourses. This polarization oversimplifies societal differences into "us versus them" dynamics, complicating consensus building and eroding trust in democratic processes. Traditionally, CSR communication research has focused on how organizations negotiate meanings between various stakeholders. However, the rise in polarization necessitates a broader research scope to understand its impact on CSR practices and organizational relationships. This Special Issue of Management Communication Quarterly explores these evolving challenges, analyzing how polarization reshapes CSR communication and outlining strategies for businesses to navigate this fragmented landscape. The issue also reflects on the broader role of corporations amidst tendencies of polarization and suggests directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a long period in which pressures to adopt CSR practices came largely from the left, the current communication environment has become far more divisive with the rise of illiberal political pressures from the right. These conflicting pressures arise from irreconcilable communication logics that threaten the future of CSR. This paper examines how these disruptive communication logics reflect the changing roles of disinformation in CSR communication, highlighting two overlapping eras: (1) the history of some companies using disinformation strategically to avoid or misrepresent CSR commitments; and (2) the more recent addition of what we term systemic disinformation generated by politicians, think tanks, and irresponsible competitors. These disinformation spheres challenge liberal democratic values and amplify attacks on CSR values. We discuss the dilemmas for companies seeking to adopt more responsible business practices and explore the implications of CSR communication becoming increasingly linked to larger societal conflicts over the nature of democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article articulates the intersection of wellness communities and anti-vaccine ('anti-vax') groups to demonstrate how vaccine misinformation and pseudoscience can propagate. This misinformation is often pushed by wellness influencers. One recent example is wellness figure Pete Evans, a celebrity chef and self-described 'qualified health coach'. By 2020, however, Evans had developed anti-vax views and began to promote fake COVID cures, anti-vax misinformation, and COVID conspiracy theories from QAnon. This contribution examines this overlap to demonstrate how wellness influencers spread misinformation that fuel vaccine hesitancy. Evans is just one example; journalists have reported on yoga teachers in California protesting against lockdowns and on wellness influencers claiming that a '"shadowy cabal" of scientists and companies' were responsible for COVID. These examples demonstrate how community intersections can amplify misinformation, pseudoscience and anti-vax views to a motivated and highly receptive audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a visual analysis of “deceptive religious imagery” employed by the campaign teams of Bolsonaro and Lula during the 2022 Brazilian presidential race with the aim of garnering votes through networked disinformation and covert influence operations. Employing a multimodal analytical approach, the research delves into the intricate interplay between politics and religion, particularly through the lens of online engagement with deceptive imagery. It tracks the dissemination of deceptive religious imagery across digital and physical platforms, melding visual analysis with rigorous fact-checking methodologies. This investigation is based on online and off-line ethnographic visual research. Not only this research let us reassess key concepts like ‘false image’, ‘verification’ or ‘visual myth’ but also allowed us to identify and debunk false imagery propagated online. Drawing upon Mitchell's framework of ‘iconology’, the article advocates for a critical examination of images, underscoring their tangible influence and the imperative to expose and evaluate their falseness in shaping public opinion. The research stresses the significance of understanding the actions and repercussions of religious visual disinformation in the context of the prevalence of post-truth cultures. In sum, this article contributes to our understanding of the intricate dynamics surrounding the utilisation of deceptive religious imagery in political campaigns, shedding light on the broader implications for democratic processes and the manipulation of public perception in contemporary socio-political contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial "Democracy under siege: how actors, communication strategies, and emerging phenomena are changing the rules in the public sphere" explores the challenges democracy faces in the digital age. It discusses the rise of populism, manipulation of emotions, spread of disinformation, and control of communication in non-democratic regions. The articles featured in this research topic shed light on the evolving dynamics in the public sphere and the implications for democratic governance, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach to regulating digital media and a renewed commitment to democratic norms and values. [Extracted from the article]

This study explores how European think tanks with obstructive positions on climate policy use the social network X to advance their agendas. The aim is to understand their digital communication strategies, the issues they address, the use of hyperlinks, and the impact on interaction and online polarization. A mixed-methods analysis was conducted on tweets from twelve organizations known for opposing climate policies. Out of an initial 96,607 tweets, 803 relevant messages were selected to evaluate thematic content and interaction reach. The analysis identified five dominant thematic areas in the tweets: economic impacts of climate policy, ideological perspectives, questioning of official science, proposed technological solutions, and other messages. The higher levels of interaction were generated by messages with a political or ideological focus and those proposing technological solutions. In addition, most hyperlinks directed users to the think tanks' own websites rather than to external sources. European anti-climate change think tanks use social network X to promote their agendas through ideological and technical messages that generate high engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has become an endemic disease of global public health importance. Mass COVID-19 vaccination has been an essential global control strategy amidst challenges of limited acceptance. Because of globalization, COVID-19/similar diseases vaccination acceptance and the determinants in any particular setting are important global public health issues. Using a novel and pragmatic framework, this study explored determinants of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among community members during the pandemic in Ebonyi state, Nigeria, and made policy-relevant recommendations on how to increase vaccination acceptance in subsequent outbreaks/pandemics. Methods: This qualitative study was based on the novel and pragmatic Individual Experiences and Perceptions and Complacency, Confidence, Convenience, and Compulsion (Four 'Cis') Determinants of Vaccination Acceptance Conceptual Framework – Omale INDEPT FORCIS Framework. On April 26 and 27, 2022, 20 semi-structured face-to-face focus group discussions were conducted in local language and pidgin English with 100 purposively selected consenting/assenting community members aged 15 years and above who had resided in the community for at least one year. Data was analysed using deductive (with some inductive) thematic analytic approach. Results: The many, diverse, and significant determinants of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance found were factors that were individual-related (individual experiences and perceptions and knowledge about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine/vaccination, and the vaccination process/system, sociodemographic, individual's condition (e.g. pregnancy)); COVID-19-related (factuality, transmissibility, frequency, severity, fatality); COVID-19 vaccine/vaccination-related (safety/side-effects, effectiveness, speedy production); COVID-19 vaccination process/system-related (real availability/accessibility); family, group, and other individual-related (experiences and perceptions and actions); and broader local, national, international, and global (LONING) context-related (socio-political, economic, historic, health system factors). The broader LONING contextual factors included the unprecedented disinformation/conspiracy theories, non-sustained COVID-19 risk/behaviour change communication, enforcement and non-enforcement or termination of peculiar control policies/measures (lockdowns, social/physical distancing, use of face mask etc.), mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies, provision of incentives, past experiences regarding the Ebola viral disease outbreak, (un)trustworthiness of the Nigerian health system and her international/global partners, and the (un)trustworthiness of the governments in Nigeria and bad/good governance, inclusive of the failure of the Ebonyi state government to distribute the COVID-19 palliatives to the people during the lockdowns. Conclusion: The evidence illuminates complex and interrelated, specific underlying, and peculiar policy-relevant LONING determinants of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and emphasizes the need for concerted and comprehensive LONING strategies (involving all the relevant LONING stakeholders/policy makers) in addressing these determinants to increase vaccination acceptance among community members in subsequent outbreaks/pandemics in Ebonyi state/Nigeria and similar settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This topical issue, Computational Approaches for Cyber Social Threats, showcases cutting-edge research that employs computational methods to tackle the pressing challenges of cyber social threats—such as fake news, disinformation, cyberbullying, hate speech, and online radicalization. In an increasingly interconnected digital landscape, these threats significantly jeopardize societal stability by eroding public trust, intensifying polarization, and widening social divides. The theme "Information Integrity During Crises" is highlighted to underscore the critical role of reliable information during global crises, when the spread of misinformation and disinformation is particularly pervasive. With a collection of nine outstanding papers, this topical issue advances our comprehension of how computational tools can address cyber social threats and protect information integrity during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article examines ongoing efforts to discourage disinformation and hate speech research in the U.S. These initiatives originate from a variety of institutional actors, including digital platforms, congressional committees, state attorneys general, and advocacy organizations. It employs the conceptual framework of agnotology, which refers to the study of deliberate culturally or politically induced ignorance. Through an analysis of over 1,800 pages of primary documents, it identifies the strategic approaches employed, the outcomes, and the broader democratic implications associated with these efforts to create and maintain knowledge gaps in the disinformation and hate speech arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rachel Reeves's March 2024 Mais lecture was an exercise in tempering hope that Britain's threadbare public services would soon be restored to health. The message of restraint might prove to be early confirmation of Reeves's instinctive governing philosophy, but it also reflected the fact that she was called upon to speak in a context of epistemic injustice. Senior Labour politicians must always accept greater scrutiny of their fiscal policy pronouncements than their Conservative counterparts. Their statements are also susceptible to disinformation, such that what Labour's opponents insist its frontbench team are hiding from the electorate often gets treated as a more authentic account of its plans than anything Labour says for itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic placed enormous pressure on healthcare systems around the world, but it also provided valuable insights for healthcare organizations during this challenging period. Objective: This study aimed to explore nurses' lived experiences of vulnerability in hospital nursing management during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflect on the lessons learned. Methods: In this phenomenological study, 14 participants, including nurse managers at different levels and staff nurses, were selected by purposive sampling from one center university hospital. Data collection was done through in-depth individual semistructured interviews with participants and a review of weekly reports of crisis management meetings at the university hospital. Interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi's method in seven phases by MAXQDA software Version 10. Results: One overarching theme, four themes, and 15 subthemes were obtained from analyses of interviews. Four themes of "nurses' attrition," "distrust of society to the organization," "fragility in the organization's performance," and "intensified inequalities" were extracted as threats to nursing management at the hospital. Subsequently, the weekly reports of crisis management meetings at the university hospital were analyzed to extract the solutions and lessons. Conclusion: The unpreparedness of the healthcare system against a crisis can led to the loss of organizational assets, including medical staff and the credibility of the healthcare system. Limitations of the infrastructure at hospital became more obvious during the pandemic and caused serious threats to the healthcare system. Despite severe challenges along with the pandemic, it offered four valuable lessons in nursing management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the use of TikTok by public broadcasters France TV, BBC and SVT to measure its informational and promotional relevance on the platform, and to identify the types of videos that generate the highest levels of engagement among users. By examining the news profile associated with the information and the corporate profile of each of the selected broadcasters, 120 publications were analyzed, counting the number of users and interactions, including likes and levels of engagement of the content. In addition, a content analysis was carried out focusing on the formal, promotional and informative characteristics of the posts. The findings revealed an interest in both promotional and informational content shared by the platforms on TikTok. In the case of SVT, higher levels of engagement are observed in comparison to the BBC and France TV profiles. Among the contents with the highest engagement, those of an informative kind with a focus on social issues stand out, highlighting proximity and immediacy. In the promotional domain, videos about events and cultural content stand out. From a structural point of view, content designed specifically for the platform predominates, as opposed to adaptations and with a duration of <1 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-truth relates to the combination of tactics of influence and opinion manipulation orchestrated by powerful economic and political interests, principally targeting initiatives or ideas with a transformative potential. Post-truth strategies express themselves in multiple tactics, which happen synchronously at varied levels and through different channels. Scientifically valid information is forced to compete with narratives which are designed to create doubt or skepticism. Disinformation weakens efforts to implement policies intended to support transformative goals. The distortion, discrediting, or ignoring of scientific evidence has become a threat to our societies. This article starts by defining the post-truth phenomenon, first discussing the roots, tactics, and contextual conditions supporting its expansion. Then it explores what stance evaluators can adopt to work in this new era where people are polarized and disinformation is widespread. This article aims to raise awareness of this disruptive phenomenon and brings evaluators together to consider promising practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a historical perspective and a prospective analysis, the article aims to understand the role of technologies and their impact on society through the postulates of media ecology. Through this meta-discipline, we delve into the rigorous review of different authors who see technologies as playing a prominent role in shaping the future because they not only influence the culture of societies, but also impact the course, advancement and meaning of history. The text focuses on the advantages and on the explanation of the risks of generative artificial intelligence, identifying eight critical scenarios: weaponization, disinformation, proxy games, weakening, blocking or withholding of value, unwanted emerging goals, deception and power-seeking behavior. Subsequently, CASI regroups them into four threats: malicious use, the AI race, organizational risks and uncontrolled AI. We end the by drawing on McLuhan’s reflections and stressing the need to scale back technologies when they have reached elevated levels of development to minimize their negative impact. Although artificial intelligence has not reached that state, there is a warning about the accelerated evolution and the need for AI literacy as a measure to face risks and threats, in a limited time before it is too late. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of misinformation has become a global challenge that impacts democratic systems, fosters citizen distrust of the media, and can also be used as a tool to promote and spread hate speech against different groups. Various studies have shown how this misinformation is used to perpetuate negative stereotypes and fuel hostility toward certain ethnic, religious, or social groups, such as migrants and refugees. This research focuses on the disinformation about migrants and refugees detected by the Spanish fact-checking platforms Newtral, Maldita, and Verificat. It utilizes a content analysis method to examine 570 checks from January 2017 to May 2023. The objective is to detect the main types of information disorders affecting migration, their preferred formats, the agents involved, and the main characteristics and themes these hoaxes feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary society, the internet, particularly social media, has become a significant area where individuals spend considerable amounts of time engaging in various activities. Concurrently, the growing utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a critical component of the propaganda that is disseminated online within economic, social, and political spheres. AI encompasses a broad range of applications, including data collection for microtargeting and the dissemination of diverse forms of disinformation. Additionally, AI can be effectively employed to detect and remove content from social media platforms that contradicts democratic principles, such as disinformation or hate speech. This study reviews the existing literature on the use of AI in political propaganda, examining not only how AI has become an integral part of propaganda strategies, but also how it is utilized to counter propaganda that violates democratic values. It explores the legislation in various countries that enables (and mandates) the removal of propaganda content contrary to democratic principles from social media platforms with the assistance of AI, and it discusses perspectives that highlight the potential conflict between these practices and the principle of freedom of expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change caused predominately by carbon dioxide (CO2) from fossil fuel use is a critical issue for our future. It is incumbent on science educators to learn about it and teach it in ways that illustrate the power of science to understand climatic changes and model past, present, and possible climate futures. It is equally important for educators to address alternative explanations that do not cause present warming. We provide sufficient background to understand the effects of atmospheric CO2 on climate, how we know past values of both CO2 and temperature, and how mathematical models lead to a quantitative understanding and predictions of increases in temperature on doubling atmospheric CO2. We discuss alternative but incorrect explanations for present warming that are employed by those who use misinformation and disinformation to take attention away from the main cause, the burning of fossil fuels. Guided student activities are provided to help students develop an understanding of the causes and strategies to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. We must provide students with a sound understanding of climate change to empower them with the knowledge to make effective choices. Informed students can develop into agents of change as we prepare them to live in their changing climate futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of rampant fake news and disinformation in today's press and social media, I provide a new consequentialist argument that regulations on the media pertaining to certain false verifiable empirical facts are warranted. This contention is based in part on a collection of pre-existing empirical findings that I newly piece together from political science and psychology demonstrating that a post-truth society is likely with current media. My position is then defended from several counters, such as that it violates deontological rights to free speech and to freedom of the press, that free speech leads to the acquisition of truth, and that government regulators can be biased and corrupt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]