Anatomy of Fake News: On (Mis)information and Belief in the Age of Social Media

Abstract

Within the context of technological and digital communication boom in India, the concern of fake news and misinformation plays a muted role in democratic and social welfare process; the current research focuses on narratives of social media users from Achrol and Chandwaji villages (Jaipur, Rajasthan). This paper tries to understand the logic of social media engagement and participation of users within the framework of understanding cultural turn in fake news and belief among the users. The paper tries to argue that the fakeinformation disseminated in form of news becomes more complicated when it passes through filters of anonymity and identity misinterpretation in social media. The logic of information consumption and dissemination should be studied with the changing communication patterns and business models of modem India. The current research is part of social research project carried over after 2016 Indian banknote demonetization to understand the derivations of fake news and its evolution in daily life of Indian users.