Manufacturing consensus : understanding propaganda in the era of automation and anonymity

Resource Information

The work Manufacturing consensus : understanding propaganda in the era of automation and anonymity represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Manufacturing consensus : understanding propaganda in the era of automation and anonymity

Title remainder

understanding propaganda in the era of automation and anonymity

Statement of responsibility

Samuel Woolley

Creator

• Woolley, Samuel

Subject

• Communication in politics -- Technological innovations
• Digital media -- Political aspects
• Disinformation -- Technological innovations
• Propaganda -- Technological innovations
• Social media -- Political aspects

Language

eng

Summary

"Until recently, propaganda was a top-down, elite-only system of communication control used largely by state actors. Samuel Woolley argues that social media has democratized today's propaganda, allowing nearly anyone to launch a fairly sophisticated, computationally enhanced influence campaign. Woolley shows how social media, with its anonymity and capacity for automation, allows a wide variety of groups to build the illusion of popularity through computational tools (such as bots) and human-driven efforts (such as sockpuppets--real people assuming false identities online--and partisan influencers). They use these technologies and strategies to create a bandwagon effect by bringing the content into parallel discussions with other legitimate users, or to mold discontent for political purposes. Drawing on eight years of original international ethnographic research among the people who build, combat, and experience these propaganda campaigns, Woolley presents an extensive view of the evolution of computational propaganda, offers a glimpse into the future, and suggests pragmatic responses for policy makers, academics, technologists, and others."--

Assigning source

Provided by publisher

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography