DYNAMICS OF DISINFORMATION

Abstract

The contemporary information scenario has been marked by new conditions of production, circulation and use of information, in which the wide circulation of partially or completely false and misleading content has acquired great importance. This phenomenon has been described and analyzed using different concepts, such as disinformation, infodemic, post-truth, fake news and others. Many analyzes have been carried out with the aim of identifying their causes, characteristics and consequences, as well as their constitutive elements, modes of manifestation and interfaces with the different areas of human life (political, economic, social, health, etc.), generating a large accumulation of scientific knowledge in recent years. A challenge that has arisen recently is precisely to systematize such knowledge. The objective of the present work, therefore, is to systematize such analyzes from a specific perspective: to identify the dynamics of such phenomena, based on their functional causalities. To this end, the work of Gibson Burrell and Gareth Morgan was used as a reference, who applied a model of four sociological paradigms to research in organizations. This model foresees four paradigms: functionalist, interpretative, radical humanist and radical structuralist. After presenting these paradigms, their application is made in studies on the phenomena of disinformation. The result of this analysis makes it possible to highlight the different dynamics of disinformation in human and social life: dysfunctions of knowledge production institutions, intentional actions to produce misinformation, everyday social construction through the valorization of certain contents, and the positioning of subjects in relation to disinformation strategies. This diversity of aspects act in complementarity, and each of them requires specific actions to combat their harmful effects.