Disinformation in the Global South

A timely and incisive exploration of disinformation and its impact in the Global South   In Disinformation in the Global South, media and communications scholars Herman Wasserman and Dani Madrid-Morales deliver a unique and geographically diverse collection of perspectives on the phenomenon of disinformation as it manifests in the Global South. In many parts of the Global South, coordinated political disinformation campaigns, rumor, and propaganda have long been a part of the social fabric, even before disinformation has become an area of scholarship in the Global North. The way disinformation manifests in this region, and responses to it, can therefore be highly instructive for readers around the world.  Through case studies and comparative analyses, the book explores the impact of disinformation in Africa, Latin America, the Arab World and Asia. The chapters in this book discuss the similarities and differences of disinformation in different regions and provide a broad thematic overview of the phenomenon as it manifests across the Global South. After analyzing core concepts, theories and histories from Southern perspectives, contributors explore the experiences of media users and the responses to disinformation by various social actors drawing on examples from a dozen countries. Disinformation in the Global South also includes: A thorough introduction to Southern perspectives on national histories, theories of disinformation, and research methods in disinformation studies Global case studies of cultures of disinformation, including ethnographic insights into how audiences engage with disinformation Comprehensive explorations of responses to online and offline disinformation, including discussions of news literacy and the management of disinformation A valuable resource for scholars of disinformation everywhere, as well as senior undergraduate and graduate students in courses covering transnational or global perspectives to communication studies, Disinformation in the Global South is also an ideal reference for anyone studying or working in media or journalism.

Biographical Notes ix Foreword xv Guy Berger, UNESCO Director for Strategies and Policies in the Field of Information and Communication Section 1 – Histories, Theories, and Methods 1 1 Contextualizing Fake News: Can Online Falsehoods Spread Fast When Internet Is Slow? 3 Edson C. Tandoc Jr. 2 Disinformation in Arab Media: Cultural Histories and Political Dynamics 15 Saba Bebawi 3 Manipulated Facts and Spreadable Fantasies: Battles Over History in the Indian Digital Sphere 26 Sangeet Kumar 4 Research Methods in Comparative Disinformation Studies 41 Dani Madrid-Morales and Herman Wasserman Section 2 – Cultures of Disinformation 59 5 Noise in Kinshasa: Ethnographic Notes on the Meanings of Mis- and Disinformation in a Post-Colonial African City 61 Katrien Pype and Sébastien Maluta Makaya 6 Aliens, Spies, and Staged Vandalism: Disinformation in the 2019 Protests in Chile 74 Ingrid Bachmann, Daniela Grassau, and Claudia Labarca 7 Encountering and Correcting Misinformation on WhatsApp: The Roles of User Motivations and Trust in Messaging Group Members 88 Ozan Kuru, Scott W. Campbell, Joseph B. Bayer, Lemi Baruh, and Richard Ling 8 “Rumor Debunking” as a Propaganda and Censorship Strategy in China: The Case of the COVID-19 Outbreak 108 Kecheng Fang 9 Media System Incentives for Disinformation: Exploring the Relationships Between Institutional Design and Disinformation Vulnerability 123 Jose Mari Hall Lanuza and Cleve V. Arguelles 10 Lies, Damned Lies, and Development: Why Statistics and Data Can No Longer Confront Disinformation in the Global South 140 Jairo Lugo-Ocando and Alessandro Martinisi Section 3 – Responses: Southern Perspectives 159 11 Online Misinformation: Policy Lessons from the Global South 161 Anya Schiffrin and Peter Cunliffe-Jones 12 Responses to Misinformation: Examining the Kenyan Context 179 Melissa Tully 13 How Three Mission-Driven News Organizations in the Global South Combat Disinformation Through Investigation, Innovation, Advocacy, and Education 193 Nabeelah Shabbir, Julie Posetti, and Felix M. Simon Conclusion 210 Herman Wasserman and Dani Madrid-Morales Index 221