ABSTRACT
In the field of Political Science, the role of information – whether through education, exposure, content availability – has been taken, normatively, as a linchpin of a democratic society. In terms of information and democracy, while attention is scarce and the ability to process information is low, the sources of information have increased. Fake news is a key debate in this dilemma. Fake news is an emotional weapon which refers not to discrete instances or stories, but rather to the strategic effort to cloud current debates with the aim of manipulating audience’s feelings to undercut any potential for collective action. Fake news threatens the democratic process in myriad ways but none so effectively as being aimed at influencing outcomes counter to popular will. There are those who benefit from using fake news despite its impact on information and democracy, one might argue, precisely because of its impact on information and democracy.
