Disinformation and Social Order: The Impact of Fake News on Collective Security and National Integration

Abstract

The present research was initiated in order to determine the effects of misinformation on social order, collective security, and unity in Pakistan. The key point in the study was to investigate how individuals acquire fake news and share them with others. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were the methods used to collect the qualitative data to understand the phenomena of disinformation and its effects on social order and collective security. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed four thematically related areas of inquiry that include the daily social construction of truth in the midst of the information uncertainty, the deterioration of social trust and social cohesion, the perceived threats to the collective security and national unity, and the new coping mechanisms that help to build social resilience within the community. The results suggested that the study participants felt confused over the issue of credibility, polarisation, and fear of social stability. In the paper, it was established that misinformation is a complicated social phenomenon, which, in turn, makes trust less worthy, re-establishes the common meaning, and poses serious obstacles in social integration. The study provided measures to alleviate the consequences of fake news, which comprised media literacy improvement, enabling the truthful institutional communication process, and the amplified participation of the community.
Keywords: disinformation, fake news, social order, media literacy, social cohesiveness, and collective security

Keywords: Disinformation, Collective Security, Fake News, Social Order, Media Literacy, Social Cohesion, Collective Security