About Fake News, Social Sharing, and their Blind Spots

In reaction to scandals about fake news, digital services have been developed, such as “Full Fact” which flags up dubious content online. Such initiatives suggest that the problem with the internet is the content.

In this lecture, however, Noortje Marres will argue that the design principles behind social media also play a role. Platforms like Twitter rely on social algorithms to select sources for disclosure, rewarding content that is widely shared with visibility. However, such algorithms suffer from a blind spot. They may be social, but they are not sociological: they do not sufficiently appreciate the political effects that arise from interactions between media, technology and people.