Creating fake publics is a specific form of propaganda, known as astroturfing. It involves creating a false impression that something or someone in society enjoys massive public support, when in reality, this support does not exist, at least not to the extent portrayed. Its highly problematic dimension lies in exploiting the human tendency to adjust to what the majority thinks and does. Although fake publics existed before digitization, their operation is significantly facilitated online, as they use automation tools and anonymity. On social media, they are considered one of the most dangerous politically motivated persuasion strategies today, in which a network of fake profiles is trying to change people's opinions. Propagandists behind these profiles often attack journalists who critically monitor those in power. The goal of this master's thesis was to understand, through qualitative research, how ten experienced domestic political journalists perceive, recognize and deal with this phenomenon. In semi-structured in depth interviews, their experiences outlined worrying trends. In the Slovenian context digital fake publics do exist, act particularly hostilely and make evaluation of journalistic sources more difficult. On the other hand, they are unsuccessful in introducing particular political agendas into news content. Despite attempts to devalue professional journalistic reporting, they do not currently significantly impact the basic principles and conventions of journalistic work. Today, journalists must be more digitally skilled than ever before, partly because of the presence of digital fake publics, and adept at selecting relevant information on social media, which represents an important space for political participation.
|
