Disinformation Firms: Privatized Political Propaganda & Fake News

Authors

Adam D. Hernandez, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Political Science

First Advisor's Name

Ronald W Cox

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Dario Moreno

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Third Advisor's Name

Alexander Barder

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Richard Tardanico

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Keywords

political science

Date of Defense

6-30-2023

Abstract

This research project analyzes the political and economic influence of private disinformation firms through an in-depth analysis of the scope, operations, and history of their global manipulation of social media platforms. This is done through an investigation of five case studies analyzing the political operations of these firms on an international scale, while identifying the key trends and motivations driving the behavior of these firms and their clients. This study also explains why these firms have been embraced by established political and economic actors. This study will also attempt to rationalize the rise and acceptance of these firms by established political and economic actors. The conclusions are threefold: 1) Disinformation firms are inherently political and have their own preferences for politics and clients. 2) These firms rarely operate on the fringes of the political sphere and often originate from an established political apparatus. 3) They are effective as political tools due to their relative cheapness and ability to allow clients to avoid attribution for political misdeeds.

Identifier

FIDC011126

Recommended Citation

Hernandez, Adam D., "Disinformation Firms: Privatized Political Propaganda & Fake News" (2023). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5449.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5449