disinformation. Campo (2020) discusses paths to
a legal solution, drawing attention to the state not
only as a regulator of disinformation in society, but
also as a disseminator of false content. Making the
connection with electoral regulation, Brito Cruz
(2020) underscores how the legal arrangements
created for broadcasting come up against structural
limits in dealing with the networked dissemination
of disinformation, resulting in inefficiency and a
series of risks for digital rights.
4. GAPS IN THE
RESEARCH AND
CHALLENGES
This review aimed to present a synthesis of the
Latin American and Caribbean academic literature
on disinformation and related concepts. It must
be acknowledged that the problem has gained
relevance and become the object of a significant
volume of research in recent years. However, it is
evident that most academic studies still originate
in the region’s largest nations, and it is important
to evaluate how to stimulate this type of research in
smaller countries, especially in the Caribbean.
Media manipulation is certainly not a new
theme in the region, especially in studies on
media and politics, which focus on the role of
traditional communication media and political
agents. Recognizing the fact that disinformation
has been a phenomenon in the region for quite
some time is important, as it confronts an often
limited view on the part of authors from the Global
North, namely that disinformation has emerged
mainly through digital platforms. The literature
from the Global North thus ultimately espouses
the conclusion that merely “more journalism” will
solve the phenomenon and its negative impacts.
This, however, minimizes the history of practices
involving the use of traditional media to promote
the interests of certain individuals or those of
political allies. Conversely, some of the works
reviewed here mention the phenomenon as present
even in traditional media. The latter can therefore
not be the “solution” or the only counterpoint to the
circulation of content on digital platforms; rather,
what is required is a move towards a multi-pronged
response.
Although the perception outlined above is a
key aspect of the Latin American and Caribbean
view, one of the gaps that exists in the literature
is a deeper inquiry into how “traditional” forms of
disinformation are linked to the new forms and to
I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH
the actions of traditional media agents. In fact, many
of the media groups examined in the studies on
manipulation and the media are currently sponsors
of projects to check and combat disinformation.62
This is a relevant area for future analysis in the
countries of the region.
Regarding conceptual frameworks, the studies
analyzed are generally anchored in literature
from the Global North, with some referencing
Latin American authors (more so in nations with
Spanish as an official language—access to output
in this language allows for greater exchange,
as it is an official language in many countries of
the region). The most cited works are the ones
frequently recommended on academic search
engines and databases, which heightens their
visibility and their use for referencing purposes.
The inadequacies of this attempt at transposing
Global North approaches to the Global South
are related to language differences. In English
a distinction is made between “disinformation,”
“misinformation,” and “malinformation,” but
the same does not hold for either Spanish or
Portuguese. Attempts at using the Spanish or
Portuguese equivalents of these English terms
have thus resulted in difficulties. However, more
than a translation problem, this is a conceptual
importation that is done without regard for a more
critical evaluation of the phenomenon from the
perspective of the region. Such an evaluation would
incorporate the specificities of the region and
problematize the philosophical and epistemological
aspects associated with the concept, such as the
very issue of defining the conditions for assessing
truth as a counterpoint to that which is false or
misleading.
The literature examined does not fail to
take notice of the changes in the pattern of
disinformation, especially as related to digital
platforms. Notwithstanding the fact that the topic
has been addressed in a significant number of
papers (with debates on the direct correlation
between the platforms’ operational dynamics and
the circulation of disinformation), there is a need
for more research on the impact of this architecture.
Further research could seek to more concretely
examine the mechanisms made available by each
of the intermediaries found on the internet, from
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