Disinformation Virus: Fake News in the Pandemic Era

This article describes the issue of misinformation during the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, which WHO called ‘infodemic’. The outbreak of the pandemic has changed the constellation of the information environment, where there is a noticeable increase in fake news, conspiracy theories and the hate speech they generate. The modified architecture of digital space causes the formation of new instruments, influence factors, phenomena – previously recognized, but never before so intense. The article focuses on fake news that appeared in connection with the ongoing pandemic and which is present in Polish public discourse. The adopted perspective allowed to look at the phenomenon of false information through the prism of the theory of information laundering.

WIRUS DEZINFORMACJI. FAKE NEWS W DOBIE PANDEMII

Niniejszy artykuł podejmuje temat dezinformacji w dobie pandemii SARS CoV-2, określany przez WHO nazwą „infodemia”. Wybuch pandemii spowodował zmianę konstelacji środowiska informacyjnego, gdzie zauważalny jest przyrost fake newsów, teorii spiskowych i generowanej przez nie mowy nienawiści. Zmodyfikowana architektura przestrzeni cyfrowej powoduje kształtowanie się nowych instrumentów, czynników wpływu, zjawisk – dotychczas rozpoznanych, lecz nigdy wcześniej tak nasilonych. Artykuł koncentruje się na fake newsach, które pojawiły się w związku z trwającą pandemią, a które obecne są w polskim dyskursie publicznym. Przyjęta perspektywa pozwoliła spojrzeć na zjawisko fałszywych informacji przez pryzmat teorii „prania informacji”.

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