(Dis)information warfare: From social media to the mainstream, how propaganda reaches our newsfeeds

Abstract

Information warfare in the digital space affects our ability to perceive the world. Following the spread of information technology, I present a case demonstrating that propaganda functions as a transmedia phenomenon. This paper follows a mixed-methods approach to understanding how propaganda makes its way into our news feeds on social media. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis, I look into the characteristics of both pro and anti-French propaganda related to the Téra incident, and subsequently study these narratives on Twitter through a network analysis. Based on my findings, conceptualize a new approach to study propaganda from gatekeeping media to social media, and conclude with suggestions for how to better study cases of information warfare and propaganda in the future.