2026/03/04 by Alice Marwick, Elaine Schnabel, Shannon C. McGregor +1 · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Computer Science · #Misinformation and Its Impacts #Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies #Digital Education and Society
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/10584609.2026.2644198
openalex publication_date 2026/03/04 · openalex created_date 2026/04/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
Rather than framing disinformation as false facts which can be countered by true facts, we propose a model of disinformation as narrative by tracing three case studies of successful disinformation across Facebook and Twitter. As stories, disinformation disseminates throughout culture and exists at all levels of media and across genres. Using a dataset of content hosted on URLs shared widely on social media corresponding to U.S. left, right, and nonpartisan examples of disinformation, we examine how successful disinformation circulates as narratives across platforms and genres. We find that all three case studies meet the formal criteria of narrative, and that narrative is intrinsically emotional and moral, providing catharsis for those who share it. Understanding that successful disinformation narratives are enforced by cultural forces, are intrinsically linked to identity, and hold deep emotional resonance for those with whom they resonate has vast implications for responding to and countering them.