Social science
Current Social Science Themes and Issues Social Media Discourse
SOSC 1000 6.0
Lecture 22_1
Jan Krouzil PhD
August 5, 2021
Agenda
Announcements
PART I Discourse as a medium
PART II Social media as social networks
PART III Fake news and disinformation
Keywords
Part I Discourse as a medium (1)
Discourse
a unit of language organized around a particular subject matter and meaning
signifies a particular awareness of social influences on the use of language
can refer either to what is conventionally said or written in a general context or to what is said or written on a particular occasion of that context
ambiguity between generality and specificity
‘coldness and wetness can cause a cold’
not necessarily a linguistic phenomenon
can also be conceptualized as inhabiting a variety of other forms such as visual and spatial (Foucault 1975)
Discourse as a medium (2)
emphasizes that language is a social and communal practice never external to or prior to society
Types of discourse
academic discourse, legal discourse, media discourse, etc.
each discourse type possesses its own characteristic linguistic features
each type emphasizes the way in which social context–who is speaking, who is listening, and when and where the instance of language occurs–determines the nature of enunciations
different conventions of style, wording, and other ‘linguistic features’
Discourse as a medium (3)
Complex understanding of discourse
emphasizes that formal conventions of the mode of expression are not the only aspect of language that is determined by the social
underlying beliefs and worldviews specific to the social context are seen to be mediated by discourse
assumptions about the nature of the world and of particular social values and beliefs
as a means of the legitimization of social and political practices (Gramsci)
discourse mediates ideological justifications of the status quo that come to be accepted as ‘common sense’
advertising discourse in capitalist society
reinforces a consumption-driven culture
Discourse as a medium (4)
Discourse as a medium of power
scientific discourses - such as the ‘human sciences’
claim to reveal human nature but actually establish norms and prescribe optimum modes of conduct (Foucault)
establish ways of identifying, understanding, and managing ‘deviant’ subjects
by describing and categorizing individuals in detail these discourses exert an unprecedented amount of power over the individual’s comportment and relationship to herself (Foucault 1978 and 1999)
Discourse and performativity
gender identity as an ongoing process of ‘citing’ gender norms that permeate society
mediated by a heteronormative discourse that describes masculinity and femininity as stable, natural, and mutually exclusive
a gender identity only seems to naturally emanate from the subject, while what is actually occurring is an ongoing reiteration and performance of gendered comportment that never fully achieves the gender ideal (Butler)
discourse actually demarcates the necessary conditions for the embodiment of personhood (Butler)
Discourse as a medium (5)
Discourse as a medium
a tool through which linguistic conventions social and political beliefs and practices, ideologies, subject positions, and norms can all be mediated
does not simply serve as a connecting link between a stable, exterior society and the individual
social values emanate from individuals who enunciate a discourse that is at the same not completely their own
in turn implants and reinforces the notions it contains
consists of both input and output
always at once an extension of our culture and of ourselves
Part II Social media as social networks (1)
Social media
‘forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content such as videos’ (Merriam-Webster 2019)[29]
interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation or sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks
around 2.77 billion social media users around the globe in 2019 up from 2.46 billion in 2017 (Statista 2019)
Social media as social networks (2)
Common features
interactive Web 2.0 Internet-based applications
user-generated content such as text posts or comments, digital photos or videos, and data generated through all online interactions
users create service-specific profiles and identities for the website or app that are designed and maintained by the social media organization
facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user’s profile with those of other individuals or groups
users engaging with their electronic services create highly interactive platforms through which individuals, communities and organizations can share, co-create, discuss, participate and modify user-generated content or self-curated content posted online
Social media as social networks (3)
networks formed through social media change the way groups of people interact and communicate or stand with the votes
they ‘introduce substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities, and individuals’
these changes are the focus of the emerging fields of techno-self studies
operate in a dialogic transmission system - many sources to many receivers
in contrast to traditional media that operate under a mono-logic transmission model (one source to many receivers)
Social media as social networks (4)
Effects on youth communication
social media has allowed for mass cultural exchange and intercultural communication
as different cultures have different value systems, cultural themes, grammar, and world views, they also communicate differently
emergence of social media platforms fused together different cultures
and their communication methods blending together various cultural thinking patterns and expression styles
social media has affected the way youth communicate by introducing new forms of language
Social media as social networks (5)
abbreviations introduced to cut down on the time it takes to respond online
the commonly known ‘LOL’ globally recognized as ‘laugh out loud’
the use of hashtags
to easily organize and search for information
used when people want to advocate for a movement, store content or tweets from a movement for future use
such as #tbt ("throwback Thursday") become a part of online communication and influences the way in which youth share and communicate in their daily lives
ability to strengthen relationships by keeping in touch with friends and family, make more friends and participate in community engagement activities and services
Social media as social networks (6)
Criticism and controversy
disparity of information available
issues with trustworthiness and reliability of information presented
the impact of social media use on an individual's concentration
ownership of media content
meaning of interactions created by social media
poor interoperability between platforms leading to the creation of information silos
isolated pockets of data contained in one social media platform
Social media as social networks (7)
the term ‘social’ cannot account for technological features of a platform alone
the level of sociability should be determined by the actual performances of its users
Debate over issues
trustworthiness and reliability
regarding peer recommendations as indicators of the reliability of information sources
trust can be exploited by marketers, who can utilize consumer-created content about brands and products to influence public perceptions
can be improved by fact-checking
Social media as social networks (8)
Key concerns
data harvesting
critique of activism
ownership of content
privacy
criticism of commercialization
addiction
use in academic settings
censorship by government
self-censorship by social media platforms
reproduction of class distinctions
Part III Fake news and disinformation (1)
Social media and ‘fake news’
also known as junk news, pseudo-news, or hoax news
‘fake news’ is a neologism often used to refer to fabricated news
found in traditional news, social media or fake news websites
no basis in fact but presented as being factually accurate
‘fake news’ as a form of news consisting of deliberate disinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional news media (print and broadcast) or online social media
digital news increases the usage of ‘fake news’, or yellow journalism
often reverberates as misinformation in social media
written and published usually with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically
often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership
clickbait stories and headlines earn advertising revenue from this activity
Fake news and disinformation (2)
The relevance of ‘fake news’
increased in ‘post-truth’ politics
for media outlets, the ability to attract viewers to their websites is necessary to generate online advertising revenue
publishing a story with false content that attracts users benefits advertisers and improves ratings
easy access to online advertisement revenue increases political polarization
social media implicated in the spread of fake news
i.e., the Facebook News Feed
competes with legitimate news stories
Fake news and disinformation (3)
Intent and purpose of ‘fake news’
sometimes what appears to be ‘fake news’ may be news satire
uses exaggeration and introduces non-factual elements that are intended to amuse or make a point, rather than to deceive
propaganda can also be ‘fake news’
‘fake news’ may be distinguished not just by the falsity of its content, but also the ‘character of [its] online circulation and reception’
mis-information
false information disseminated without harmful intent
dis-information
created and shared by people with harmful intent
mal-information
the sharing of "genuine" information with the intent to cause harm
Fake news and disinformation (4)
Types of ‘fake news’
satire or parody
‘no intention to cause harm but has potential to fool’
false connection
‘when headlines, visuals or captions don't support the content’
misleading content
‘misleading use of information to frame an issue or an individual’
false context
‘when genuine content is shared with false contextual information’
impostor content
‘when genuine sources are impersonated" with false, made-up sources’
manipulated content
‘when genuine information or imagery is manipulated to deceive’
as with a ‘doctored’ photo
fabricated content
‘new content is 100% false, designed to deceive and do harm’
Fake news and disinformation (5)
Concerns over ‘fake news’
actions and behaviors associated with the term
manipulation, disinformation, falseness, rumors, conspiracy theories
have existed as long as humans have communicated
new communication technologies have allowed for new ways to produce, distribute and consume ‘fake news’
makes it harder to differentiate what information to trust
‘Fake news’ studied along four lines
characterization, creation, circulation, and countering
Fake news and disinformation (6)
characterization of ‘fake news’ – a major concern
by differentiating between intention and facticity researchers attempt to study different types of false information
creation concerns the production of ‘fake news’
often produced with either a financial, political, or social motivation
circulation of ‘fake news’
refers to the different ways false information has been disseminated and amplified
through communication technologies such as social media and search engines
countering ‘fake news’ addresses the approaches to detect and combat fake news on different levels
from legal, financial, and technical aspects to individuals’ media and information literacy and new fact-checking services
Fake news and disinformation (7)
Future challenges from ‘fake news’
research on the scale and scope
to better describe the magnitude and characteristics of the problem
debate about disinformation a reminder of the roots of journalism
critical evaluation of information and sources, accountability, and ethical codes of conduct
efforts to enhance transparency
both in platforms information ecology as well as in journalistic methods, can in the long run increase trust in how information is handled and amplified by platforms and newsrooms.
new tools and methods—including media and information literacy
to identify and detect manipulated content to counter manipulation attempts by different actors
political actors and institutions should recognize their role in improving the quality of the information ecosystem
rather than enforcing laws to abolish ‘fake news’ which has become a politicized term
Keywords
discourse as a medium
discourse and performativity
dialogic transmission system
information silos
effects on youth communication
intent and purpose of ‘fake news’
types of ‘fake news’
social media and coronavirus