Organized Skepticism in the Age of Misinformation Surviving the Kingdom of Gossip

<p>Drawing from philosophy, information theory, and network science, <b><i>Organized Skepticism in the Age of Misinformation: Surviving the Kingdom of Gossip</i> </b>offers a novel conceptual framework that views information as a form of gossip.</p><p> </p><p>This book challenges the idea that truthfulness is a necessary, or even a relevant condition, of information. Instead, the book develops a conceptual framework in which information is understood as gossip, which fits within a more general account of information and knowledge as constrained but contingent social practices. Using this framework, the book provides a nuanced understanding of the “grammar” of gossip that permeates both online and real-world environments, and sheds light on the often overused and confused terms of our time: information, misinformation, and knowledge.</p><p> </p><p>The book offers a fundamental reconfiguration of the evolving virtual interdependence of humans and information technology.</p><p> </p><p>This is a key resource for students and scholars in areas relating to social media, information diffusion, human/computer interface, and computational social science.</p>