Mainstreaming the fringe, or how misinformation propagates on social media

The presentation takes up the question of the current state of the misinformation problem on social media, and its study. Employing digital methods and data journalism techniques, it examines how misinformation manifests itself on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Web Search, Reddit, 4chan and TikTok during the early COVID-19 pandemic period and the run-up to the US presidential elections. Judging from the most engaged-with content on the platforms, it appears the authority of mainstream media is waning. Broadly speaking, TikTok parodies it, 4chan and Reddit dismiss it and direct users to alternative influencer networks and extreme YouTube content. Twitter prefers the hyperpartisan over it. Facebook’s ‘fake news’ problem also concerns declining amounts of mainstream media referenced. Instagram has influencers (rather than, say, experts) dominating user engagement. By comparison, Google Web Search buoys the liberal mainstream (and sinks conservative sites), but generally gives special interest sources the privilege to provide information.