The Age of Disinformation: A Contempt For Truth

We live in a time when disinformation is rampant across all media outlets, especially the new format of social media. This cynicism pervades advertising and marketing, government and politics, medicine and public health, as well as print, television, and radio journalism. Deliberate lies and expedient distortions, ad hominem attacks, and smearing implications prevail alongside honest news and accurate information. Amid this welter of news and "fake news," consumers and citizens are left confused and atomized. We even question whether there is such a thing as objective truth, or whether truth is subjective and meaningful as such to individual persons. Are there objective facts, "alternative facts," and credible evidence, or are these merely categories on which we decide based on perspective and ideology? In The Age of Disinformation, philosopher Burton Porter uncovers various forms of deception, arguing that a well-informed citizenry is fundamental to a free and democratic society.