ASTK18105U Propaganda and Disinformation on Social Media

Propaganda and disinformation on social media are increasingly gaining attention both among journalists and government officials. The concern manifests itself in the popular interest in “fake news”, the rise of the fact-checking industry and new governmental security policies towards online “information threats”. However, such policy requires a clear understanding of the phenomena itself. In light of this, the seminar offers an introduction to studies of social media, propaganda and disinformation in the context of international conflicts. It draws upon the disciplines of political science, sociology and media studies. The participants will critically engage with competing theories and conceptions of the phenomena, while drawing upon historic and contemporary cases of propaganda and disinformation in USA and Russia as some of the empirical examples. The seminar will be centered around discussions concerning the role of social media and the historical novelty of digital mass deception. Furthermore, the participants will critically reflect upon the more recent concepts of hybrid warfare and the competing measures against digital disinformation and propaganda.