Techniques of disinformation: Constructing and communicating "soft facts" after terrorism

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Communication Studies
• Political Science

Background:

• Social media data from four UK terror attacks in 2017 were analyzed.
• Misleading information and its impact on public perception of terrorism is a neglected research area.
• Disinformation studies predominantly focus on political elections, leaving other domains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and delineate "techniques of disinformation" employed by various actors following terror attacks.
• To empirically contribute to the understanding of social reactions to terrorism.
• To advance scholarship on disinformation by examining a context beyond political elections.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of social media data collected after the 2017 UK terror attacks.
• Application of an analytical lens analogous to Sykes and Matza's "techniques of neutralization" to disinformation.
• Qualitative examination of how actors attempted to shape public understanding of events.

Main Results:

• Identified specific "techniques of disinformation" used to influence public discourse on terrorism.
• Demonstrated the role of misleading information in shaping social reactions to terror events.
• Highlighted the utility of applying sociological theories of deviance to the study of disinformation.

Conclusions:

• Disinformation tactics are actively employed to frame and influence public understanding of terror attacks.
• The study of social reactions to terrorism can be significantly enhanced by analyzing disinformation.
• Sociological frameworks, such as "techniques of neutralization," offer valuable insights into "deviant" information like disinformation.