Paper short abstract:

The aim of this presentation will be situating the concept of dis -and misinformation in the broader historical context disclosing two insights; [1] understanding what is dead and what is alive; [2] contingent and realistic interpretations of the present aura of dis -and misinformation crisis.

Paper long abstract:

Despite the threat posed by dis -and misinformation on national security, democracy, public health, and decision making, its heuristic nature, the diversity of its actors, and its all-purposiveness leave scientific navigations a difficult task. Thus, an enduring task for anyone keen to comprehending, in a full scale, the meaning, mechanics, and impacts of dis -and misinformation, in the age of digital media, is to have a concise historical account that informs the subsequent tasks of defining, conceptualizing and contextualizing it as purposed in this analysis. The aim of this presentation will be situating the concept of dis -and misinformation in the broader historical context disclosing two insights; [1] what is dead and what is alive; [2] contingent and realistic interpretations of the present aura of dis -and misinformation crisis. Discourses that support dis-and misinformation (and computational propaganda) as a new and straightforward concept without a history of its own would be a parade of (dis)misinformation in itself and an ignorance of its ontological, epistemological, and practical implications (Romele, & Terrone, 2018: 26). In doing so, we remain vigilant regarding the multidisciplinarity of the concept.