Searching for more information? See the Scholarly Resources page, or try a few of the keywords in different combinations, in different resources to pull a variety of information:
Mistrust, Critical race theory, Disinformation, Elections, Fraud, Identity, Power, Propaganda, Social Media, Social Networks, Misinformation, Fake News, Impact, Influence, Social Truth, Post-Truth, Behavior, News Literacy, Experts, Emotions, Legitimized, Conspiracy Theories, Intent, Bias
Disinformation via the Columbian Chemicals Plant Hoax
Publicity Campaign via Exxon Mobil "Advertorials" in NYT
Propaganda via Pizzagate in NYT
For more related topics, check out 
Deepfakes: hyper realistic, fake audio or video created using machine learning that is nearly impossible to detect
Hoaxes: to trick into believing or accepting as genuine something false and often preposterous
Academic Grievance Studies and the Corruption of Scholarship: Three people wrote 20 papers and submitted them, under false names, as part of year-long hoax campaign targeting fields like gender studies.
So we are all on the same page, let's share the same definition of terms used throughout the discussion:
Disinformation -- false information that is deliberately created or disseminated with the express purpose to cause harm. Producers of disinformation typically have political, financial, psychological, or social motivations.
Deep Fakes -- term currently being used to describe fabricated media produced using artificial intelligence. By synthesizing different elements of existing video or audio file, AI enables relatively easy methods for creating "new" content, in which individuals appear to speak words and perform actions, which are not based on reality.
Fact-Checking -- the process of determining the truthfulness and accuracy of official, published information such as politicians' statements and news reports.
Hoax-- a deliberate deception that plays on people's willingness to believe. Hoaxes depend, at least initially, on some people take them at face value. Often, hoaxes are a means of challenging authority, custom, or the status quo.
Malinformation -- genuine information that is shared to cause harm. This includes private or revealing information that is spread to harm a person or reputation.
Misinformation -- information that is false, but not intended to cause harm. For example, individuals who don't know a piece of information is false may spread it on social media in an attempt to be helpful.
Propaganda -- true or false information spread to persuade an audience, but often has a political connotation and is often connect to information produced by governments.
Sources: Lexicon of Lies, Information Disorder: The Essential Glossary
Why should we care about having true beliefs? And why do demonstrably false beliefs persist and spread despite consequences for the people who hold them?
An invaluable guide to safe internet usage, this resource explains the importance of guarding privacy and identity online, spotting misinformation, avoiding charity scams, and evaluating websites.
Lies and inaccurate information are as old as humanity, but never before have they been so easy to spread. The first comprehensive social science volume exploring the prevalence and consequences of, and remedies for, misinformation as a mass communication phenomenon, Misinformation and Mass Audiences will be a crucial resource for students and faculty researching misinformation, policymakers grappling with questions of regulation and prevention, and anyone concerned about this troubling, yet perhaps unavoidable, dimension of current media systems.
Rapid rise of populist political parties around Europe and across the Atlantic in the early new millennium coincided with the simultaneous increased spread of conspiracy theories.
Lie Machines is full of riveting behind-the-scenes stories from the world's biggest and most damagingly successful misinformation initiatives--including those used in Brexit and U.S. elections. Howard not only shows how these campaigns evolved from older propaganda operations but also exposes their new powers, gives us insight into their effectiveness, and explains how to shut them down.
Confronts and dismantles prominent media-driven myths, describing how they can feed stereotypes, distort understanding about the news media, and deflect blame from policymakers.
This book provides recent examples of how misinformation and disinformation manifest in the field of education and remedies.
Publicity: information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support, an act or device designed to attract public interest, the dissemination of information or promotional material.
Propaganda: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person, ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause.
Familiarity bias is our tendency to overvalue things we already know. When faced with making choices, we often revert to previous behaviors, knowledge, or mindsets. Add in a little publicity and propaganda and our subconscious tends to choose the idea or theme we feel most comfortable with. Sensationalizing an event, action and/or news story, may also use publicity and propaganda in hopes to encourage people to make a biased judgement regarding what they've viewed or read.