Digital Disinformation and Post-Truth: Understanding the Media Crisis

What Is Digital Disinformation?

According to the research of Romero-Rodríguez and Rodríguez-Hidalgo, digital disinformation involves the deliberate manipulation of facts to influence public perception and emotion, often through social media, fake news, and clickbait content.

Why Is It a Critical Issue?

This article explains that post-truth environments thrive on emotional appeals over factual accuracy. The main findings indicate that digital users—termed “analfanautas”—often have high digital access but lack the media literacy needed to filter misleading or false content, amplifying misinformation.

How Does It Work?

The Post-Truth Ecosystem

The chapter identifies three drivers of digital disinformation:

1. Comburente (User): A digitally skilled audience lacking critical media competence.

2. Combustible (Content): Sensational, pseudo-informative material designed for virality.

3. Oxígeno (Social Media): The viral structure of platforms that fuels mass diffusion.

Key Mechanisms of Disinformation

A taxonomy of native-digital disinformation tactics includes:

• Astroturfing: Fake grassroots campaigns.

• Clickbaiting: Sensational headlines for ad revenue.

• Catfishing: False identities for manipulation.

• Fake News: Intentional misinformation with political or ideological motives.

Why Media Literacy Matters

This article explains that audiences must learn to:

• Evaluate content sources and credibility.

• Resist the “bandwagon effect” of uncritically sharing viral content.

• Understand the ethics behind journalistic practice and information dissemination.

FAQs

Q: What is an ‘analfanauta’?

An analfanauta is a user with high digital access but low media literacy, unable to critically evaluate or filter information consumed online.

Q: Are fake news new?

Not at all. The study traces disinformation back to ancient texts like the Odyssey and explains its evolution through propaganda, media manipulation, and digital platforms.

Q: How can society respond to post-truth dynamics?

The solution lies in media education, fact-checking initiatives, and critical digital literacy to empower users as responsible content producers and consumers.