[Commlist] New book: Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy. Mapping the Politics of Falsehood

  /New book: /Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy


        Mapping the Politics of Falsehood


        /by Johan Farkas and Jannick Schou/

/https://www.routledge.com/Post-Truth-Fake-News-and-Democracy-Mapping-the-Politics-of-Falsehood/Farkas-Schou/p/book/9780367322175/

//

//

Western societies are under siege, as fake news, post-truth and 
alternative facts are undermining the very core of democracy. This 
dystopian narrative is currently circulated by intellectuals, 
journalists and policy makers worldwide. In this book, Johan Farkas and 
Jannick Schou deliver a comprehensive study of post-truth discourses. 
They critically map the normative ideas contained in these and present a 
forceful call for deepening democracy.

The dominant narrative of our time is that democracy is in a state of 
emergency caused by social media, changes to journalism and misinformed 
masses. This crisis needs to be resolved by reinstating truth at the 
heart of democracy, even if this means curtailing civic participation 
and popular sovereignty. Engaging with critical political philosophy, 
Farkas and Schou argue that these solutions neglect the fact that 
democracy has never been about truth alone: it is equally about the 
voice of the democratic people.


/Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy/ delivers a sobering diagnosis of 
our times. It maps contemporary discourses on truth and democracy, 
foregrounds their normative foundations and connects these to historical 
changes within liberal democracies. The book will be of interest to 
students and scholars studying the current state and future of 
democracy, as well as to a politically informed readership.

**

*Endorsements*

*"**/Post-truth, Fake News and Democracy/****provides a highly original 
analysis of how discourses of truth have emerged in the "fake news" era. 
It shows how (re)equating democratic governance with only reason, 
rationality and truth undermines the voice of the people and excludes 
those most disaffected with politics. Anyone interested in contemporary 
debates on power and democracy will be both challenged and captivated by 
this book."*—/Ariadne Vromen, Professor of Political Sociology, 
Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney/

/
/

*"Drawing on groundbreaking empirical and theoretical work, Farkas and 
Schou demonstrate the double threat to democracy posed by post-truth 
propaganda and its obverse: an authoritarian backlash to the politics of 
Truth with a capital T.***/*Post-Truth, Fake News and 
Democracy*/***provides an invaluable conceptual roadmap for navigating 
the political perils of the contemporary media landscape with an 
unwavering commitment to democratic politics. The authors provide more 
than compelling arguments and timely analysis they offer a powerful and 
carefully constructed resource for hope."*—/Mark Andrejevic, Professor 
at the School of Media, Film, and Journalism, Monash University/

/
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*"The book I have been waiting for - a critical interrogation of 
post-truth and fake news discourses embedded in their political and 
historical context that puts democratic renewal center stage. Farkas and 
Schou skilfully draw upon political philosophy to argue that it is 
democracy rather than truth claims that should take priority if we 
really want deeper, better and more inclusive democratic institutions 
and societies. As they put it ,"we don't need more truth but more 
politics". This book is not only conceptually compelling but also 
politically important. It helped me understand not only what is going on 
but also what to do about it. A book for our times. Read it."*—/Natalie 
Fenton, Professor of Media and Communications, Co-Director Centre for 
the Study of Global Media and Democracy, Goldsmiths, University of London/

/
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*"This is a book that needed to be written. Through an impressive 
empirical mapping and discourse theoretical analysis of recent 
post-truth and fake news discourses, the authors identify, and 
problematize, how democracy in these discourses is articulated as a 
technocratic order based on "the rule by truth." In the process, and 
with the help of historical contextualization, Farkas and Schou expose 
the reactionary anti-democratic imaginary within the discourses, and 
consequently open space to once more envision democracy in terms of "the 
rule by the people." This incredibly insightful and important book is a 
must read for all students, scholars, and proponents of 
democracy."*—/Lincoln Dahlberg, Researcher in Media Politics and Digital 
Democracy/

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*"Few deny the emergence and importance of post-truth politics, fake 
news, and the changing impact of the public and social media on 
democratic politics, though it is difficult to find compelling diagnoses 
and alternatives. In***/*Post-Truth, Fake News and Democracy*/*, Johan 
Farkas and Jannick Schou provide a compelling diagnosis of the 
contemporary discourses on "post-truth" through an in-depth analysis of 
news articles, commentaries, academic publications, policy briefs and 
political speeches. Carefully linking empirical research and critical 
political philosophy, the book successfully challenges those who call 
simply for greater truth and rationality by outlining a deeper 
conception of democracy, and its attendant institutions and practices. 
This is an important and path-breaking contribution that responds to a 
pressing issue in contemporary society and politics."*—/David Howarth, 
Professor and Director of the Centre for Ideology and Discourse 
Analysis, University of Essex, UK/


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