Profesionales y posverdad: La responsabilidad colectiva como arma contra la falacia digitalizada

Abstract

Main theme: Post-truth, also known as emotive lie: a new term that describes the intentional distortion of reality, thus intending to create and guide a tendency of public opinion to influence the ideas of society. This definition and the reality it represents has a growing presence and importance in modern life: the election of Donald Trump, the rise of separatisms, Brexit or the irruption of the far right are first-line issues, tainted by the specter of post-truth. Logical development of the matter: It is common to check the social networks every morning to find, in statistical fashion, a lie in motion. A hoax known by its author and unquestioned by those who share it: illustrated news equals reality. Altho ugh resorting to lies in politics or for ideological reasons is far from being a recent development, the way in which this phenomenon has grown and become uncontrolled as an element of influence in public opinion is what has led to its metamorphosis in the term «Post-truth». Author’s point of view and contributions: Interconnectivity should shield us from manipulation by professional propagandists, but it has made us more vulnerable to puerile and simple lies…information that would be easy to deny, but which are protected from it by collective laziness and accelerated lifestyle. Research limitations/implications: Although the research focuses on a single case, it offers an approximation to the value that these audiovisual pieces have when being used as a tool in a communication strategy of a brand, which allows the brand to manage its intangible values easily. Implications and conclusions: After decades of consolidated and successful democracy, society faces, for the first time, a threat that can only be effectively fought by ordinary citizens. The propaganda and educational effort that would be needed to solve it from the institution’s level reaches the unthinkable extreme of forced reeducation for the standardization of criteria. It is necessary, instead, to create in the greatest number of people, the awareness of the need for self-training in critical reading and data verification, given the growing irrelevance of the journalist as a mediator. Or if that fails, work is needed from the media to reverse their loss of credibility.