PART 2 ACADEMIC OVERVIEW 1. INTRODUCTION With the consolidation of the internet as the dominant communication medium in various contexts, the production and dissemination of false content has become an object of global concern. These practices have aroused attention due to their impact on several societal domains. In recent years, their influence in public debates and especially in elections and political processes (such as referendums, popular consultations, and mobilizations) has sparked concerns about possible threats to democratic political regimes in several countries. Episodes of violence against individuals and groups in countries such as India and Myanmar have revealed how false messages can have consequences for people’s lives and physical integrity. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided further evidence of the risks of disinformation to public health and to the lives of individuals, which are directly affected by the dissemination of false claims about miracle treatments or the questioning of measures aimed at combating the coronavirus. This phenomenon has attracted the attention of researchers from different fields of knowledge, with a plethora of studies conducted in several countries resulting in distinct approaches to and perspectives I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH on the theme. The terms used are manifold, including “fake news,” “post-truth,” “disinformation,” and “false news,” inter alia. The characterization of these practices also involves varied emphases, be it in relation to the phenomenon’s constitutive elements or its historical specificities. This part of the report presents a review of the literature on the theme by researchers from Latin America and the Caribbean. Accordingly, this part aims to identify the conceptual milestones and to explore the characterization of the phenomenon of disinformation, the approaches and themes associated with the issue, instances of the spread of disinformation in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and the gaps and challenges facing researchers in the region. The current review analyses a body of work gathered from Google Scholar and Web of Science. Searches were done using terms associated with the theme, such as “fake news,” desinformación/ desinformação (“disinformation”), pos-verdad/ pós-verdade (“post-truth”), and notícias falsas (“false news”). Works were analyzed to ascertain whether they were by researchers from Latin American and Caribbean countries and whether they featured the theme as a central issue. Finally, 102 works were selected, including articles, book chapters, and books. Latin America and the Caribbean – 1 2 2