Theorizing Mediated Information Distortion

Brian H. Spitzberg, Senate Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the School of Communication at San Diego State University, is author or coauthor of over 175 scholarly publications on communication competence, media and the dark side of communication, including meme and misinformation diffusion, assessment, interpersonal communication competence, jealousy, conflict, threats, coercion, violence, and stalking.

Spitzberg’s exemplary volume explores and explains the most complex puzzles about misinformation, disinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news. It shows, in compelling science and engaging reading, how communication is epidemic, and how false information is its pathogen. Its multidimensional model of meme diffusion offers formal theoretical thinking too seldom seen in social science, that will generate new research and ensure its intellectual longevity.Joseph B. Walther, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Communication, Bertelsen Presidential Chair in Technology and Society, University of California, Santa BarbaraTheorizing Mediated Information Distortion is an essential volume for anyone seeking to understand the far-reaching effects of misinformation on public health and society. Spitzberg's broader theory of meme diffusion and distortion of information is an invaluable resource in the fight against misinformation and a testament to the importance of evidence-based decision-making in the face of uncertainty.Scott Caplan, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Delaware, Author of The changing face of problematic Internet useA thorough and timely multi-level analysis of how and why information becomes distorted in media—and what can be done to stem the problem. From Covid-19 misinformation to conspiracy theories, Spitzberg addresses key factors in the germination and dissemination of misinformation, including cognitive biases, social network structures, meme diffusion, social media algorithms, pandemic fears, trust in authority, and much more. Benjamin Radford, MPH, M.Ed., Deputy Editor, Skeptical Inquirer science magazine

• 1. Virus = Language / Language = Virus 2. Meme Level: Constraints of an Attention Economy/Ecology 3. Individual Level: Misinformation Motives 4. Meme x Individual Level: Message Processing 5. Social Network Dynamics Level 6. Societal/Cultural (Media) Ecosystem and Geotechnical Levels 7. Whither Progress?