On how to defend oneself against media manipulation: The role of the informational and media literacy

Abstract

Post-truth media manipulation techniques dominantly provoke the emotional response in media audience. Fake news, as a specific post-truth subtype, present fabricated information directed to a specific media goal, usually motivated by clear economic and political intentions. Media and information literacy, thus, as a logical response to media manipulation, advocate a critical evaluation of the media content. However, in this paper, we argue about information literacy as the first and foremost strategy of defense against fabricated information focused on emotional reaction. We use literature framework to outline techniques which serve as protectors against various forms of media manipulation, such as the ability to observe and investigate the credibility of content, awareness of the alternative information, as well as the possibilities for ethical dissemination of information.