Is fake fast? Speed, misinformation, quality of journalism and media literacy

Abstract

This article aims to show the relations between the current contexts of hyperinformation, disinformation and infoxation and the process of social acceleration of time. Seeking to understand the dynamics involved in the phenomenon of fake news, a transverse approach between fake and fast throughout the communicative act is indicated. Ultra-speed is seen as a privileged vector for producing a greater amount of information that audiences cannot process, creating room for a low-quality information ecosystem marked by the unthinking consumption of news. Contemporary journalism thus tends to stray from the relational social role of reference for making decisions that are necessary for the lives of citizens and their peers. As a force of tension to this movement, we present the concepts of slow journalism, guided by the search for quality and contextualization. The procedures of media literacy are added to the communication practices of the slow culture, making it possible to work reflection and criticism of information also at the reception pole.