Post-truth and mass communication: Diffusion of fabulous and misleading interpretations of reality and possible ways out

Abstract

The digital transformation now underway produces well-being and emancipation. However, the contemporary world has entered an era of post-truth, as alternative or presumed facts have begun to have a greater importance than real facts, to the point of replacing the latter in the attention of the public, while feelings and emotions gain more weight than objective evidence. In this thesis, the ways of affirming falsehood are explored, conveyed by entertainment television programs, social media and commercials, which gradually replace the truth in the attention and mind of the general public, on the wave of feelings and emotions which gain more weight than objective evidence. A discussion follows on the disadvantages and risks associated with the obfuscation of reality, which affect not only the current generation, limiting the capacity for judgment and choice, but also the future generations. The final part of the thesis corresponds to the objective of evaluating a possible integration of legislative, technological and educational approaches, for a joint action against disinformation. It is a goal that is not easy to achieve, given the spread of increasingly complex and dubious narratives. The only certain data is that relating to the volume and impact of these contents, which increase over time, making their validation, or their filtering, more and more challenging.