ABSTRACT

The miasma of misinformation has become globally pervasive, infecting millions of people with false beliefs and conspiracies. This conceptual study examines the role of media in the creation, sustenance, and propagation of misinformation, by looking into the economic structuring of media industries. Traditionally, media relied on the dual product model that rendered their function of informing the public a secondary concern, as their profitability depended on expanding their viewership. Pervasiveness of misinformation in the contemporary media landscape is aided by the emerging “triple product model” as the economic logic of the digital media platforms. The valorization of the users’ data has become a lucrative “third product.” This shift in the form of communication processes takes place in social media platforms through the notion of “phatic communication,” a concept that has been underexplored by media and consumer studies literature so far.

摘要

错误信息的瘴气已在全球蔓延，数百万人被错误的信仰和阴谋感染。这项概念性研究通过研究媒体行业的经济结构，探讨了媒体在错误信息的创造、维持和传播中的作用。传统上，媒体依赖于双产品模式，这使得其告知公众的功能成为次要问题，因为它们的盈利能力取决于扩大收视率。作为数字媒体平台经济逻辑的新兴“三重产品模式”助长了当代媒体格局中错误信息的普遍存在。用户数据的增值已成为利润丰厚的“第三产品”。