Disinformation in the Global South - Paperback

by Herman Wasserman (Editor), Dani Madrid-Morales (Editor)

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

Back Jacket

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 became 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.

Author Biography

Herman Wasserman is Professor of Media Studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a doctorate from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and worked as a journalist before starting an academic career. He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association and Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of the International Communication Association and African Journalism Studies.

Dani Madrid-Morales, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of Houston's Valenti School of Communication. He received his doctorate in Media and Communication from the City University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on the intersection of transnational media studies, global political communication, and disinformation studies in East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.