Abstract
AbstractThe spread of disinformation about science in social media has been a major concern worldwide, especially at a time of crisis in which all institutions that produce knowledge and truth, including science, are delegitimized or discredited by society. Given this, the purpose of this research is to map the circulation of information on the most frequent conspiracy theories in Brazil, seeking to identify actors, discourses, and interactions on different digital platforms. Using a mixed methodology for identifying informational flows among supporters of conspiracy theories on Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube, the results show that, even though there is distrust about the relationship between science, government and industry, scientific authority is a symbolic capital of extreme importance for the circulation of information on conspiracy theories related to science.
Highlights
Concern over science-related misinformation is a Brazilian phenomenon
The purpose of this research is to map the circulation of information on the most frequent conspiracy theories in Brazil, seeking to identify actors, discourses, and interactions on different digital platforms
Using a mixed methodology for identifying informational flows among supporters of conspiracy theories on Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube, the results show that, even though there is distrust about the relationship between science, government and industry, scientific authority is a symbolic capital of extreme importance for the circulation of information on conspiracy theories related to science
Summary
Associated with misinformation, informational excess (Steensen 2019) and a conservative right-wing religious agenda (Benkler et al 2018), this epistemic crisis reflects the shift from a regime of truth based on trust in institutions to another regime regulated by individual belief and personal experience (Van Zoonen 2012), giving voice to conspiratorial movements in which information is a field of dispute over the narrative production. This aim of this research is to understand how science-related conspiracy theories circulate in digital social networks. We believe that this research can provide us with insights into understanding how political and ideological disputes unfold in digital social networks and how science communication can react to misinformation about scientific knowledge in times of epistemic crisis
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