Optimising Emotions, Incubating Falsehoods: How to Protect the Global Civic Body from Disinformation and Misinformation

Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
Part I: Conceptual Tools and Contexts
	Chapter 1: Optimising Emotion: Introducing the Civic Body
		Introduction
		Optimising Emotion
		The ‘Civic Body’
		Incubating False Information in the Civic Body
		Optimising Society and Subjectivity
		Aims, Approach and Argument
		References
	Chapter 2: Core Incubators of False Information Online
		Introduction
		The Economics of Emotion
			The Attention Economy and Optimised Emotion
			Monetising Emotion and Deception
		Destroying the Business Model for Real News and Fuelling False Information
		The Politics of Emotion
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 3: Affective Contexts Worldwide
		Introduction
		USA: Affectively Polarised Elections
		The Philippines: Affective Clientelism
		Sweden: Alt-Right Erosion of Consensus Culture
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 4: The Nature and Circulation of False Information
		Introduction
		Deception in Citizen-Political Communications
		Contemporary Forms of Deception
			Fake News
			Deepfakes (and Shallowfakes)
		Dynamics of False Information Online
			Scale
			Virality
			Spreaders
			Why Share False Information Online?
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 5: Feeling-Into the Civic Body: Affect, Emotions and Moods
		Introduction
		Feelings in Citizen-Political Communications
		Managing Public Feeling: Discourses, Decision-Making and Datafication
			Managing Discourses
			Managing Decision-Making
			Managing Datafication (Optimisation)
		Post-truth? Assessing Emotionalised Media
			The Emotionality of News
			The Emotionality of Social Media
		Affective Challenges in Managing COVID-19: Uncertainty, Anxiety and False Information
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 6: Profiling, Targeting and the Increasing Optimisation of Emotional Life
		Introduction
		Profiling and Targeting in Citizen-Political Communications
		Profiling and Targeting in US Political Campaigning
			Social Media Platforms: Targeting Tools
			Psychographic and Neuromarketing Tools
			Campaign Mobile Phone Apps
		Profiling and Targeting in UK Political Campaigning
		Profiling and Targeting in India’s Political Campaigning
		Conclusion
		References
Part II: Strengthening the Civic Body
	Chapter 7: Harms to the Civic Body from False Information Online
		Introduction
		Harm 1: Wrongly Informed Citizens
		Harm 2: Remaining Wrongly Informed in Digital Echo Chambers
			Digital Echo Chambers Exist for Some and Are Damaging
			Digital Echo Chambers Are Minimal and Not a Threat
		Harm 3: Affective Content, Polarisation, Partisan Misperceptions, Incivility and Hate
		Harm 4: Contagion
		Harm 5: Microtargeting
			Fragmentation of National Conversations
			Targeted Suppression of Voters
			Undue Influence
		Harm 6: Seeding Distrust in the Civic Body
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 8: Defending the Civic Body from False Information Online
		Introduction
		Solution Area 1: Governmental Action
			Non-coercive Responses
			Coercive Responses
		Solution Area 2: Cybersecurity
		Solution Area 3: Digital Platforms/Intermediaries
		Solution Area 4: Advertising
		Solution Area 5: Professional Political Persuaders and Public Relations
			Political Online Ads
			Strategic Communications
		Solution Area 6: Media Organisations
			Restoring Competitive Balance
			Rebuilding Trust in Mainstream News
			Fact-Checking
		Solution Area 7: Education
			Correcting False Information Does Not Change Beliefs
			Nudges
			Reason and Emotion
		Conclusion
		References
	Chapter 9: Strengthening the Civic Body as the Bandwidth for Optimised Emotion Expands
		Looking Backwards: Core Shifts
		Looking Forward: Near-Horizon Futures
			Scenario 1: The Ministry of Optimised Moods
			Scenario 2: Campaigns That Optimise Embodied Emotions
			Scenario 3: Profiting from Optimising Fellow-Feeling
		Protecting Citizens in the Coming Era of Optimised Emotions
			Protecting Mental Integrity
		The Last Word
		References
Index