introduction

01 Fake news is more dangerous than climate change.

Risks Grow with AI
An approach to finding the optimal response
The term and definition of fake news
Use terms in context

02 How Fake News Evolved

In the era of witch hunts, printing spread victims.
Yellow Journal's appearance
Fake news surrounded by objectivism
Fake news used by the state during the Cold War
In the information age, fake news has permeated our lives.
Internet Popularization, Fake News Rise
The era of advanced fake news

03 Fake news that increases dominance

Fake news dominated two US presidential elections.
Public opinion pressure and interference in other countries
Fake news factories run by individuals, creating a "virtuous cycle"
Advanced deception that clouds consumer judgment
Advanced detection evasion technology "hardly detectable"

04 Fake News Analysis Theory and Its Limitations

Background on the theory
Confirmation bias: “I only trust my card.”
The “My bowl of rice is right” heuristic
Synchronous inference: "Stick to the desired direction"
The theory of ignorance: "The more you know, the less you are fooled."
"Fear the Cost of Non-Sharing": Theory of Group Conformity
"We believe even fakes if they're on our side" Social Identity Theory
“Finding the Hub” Network Theory

05 How to Deal with Fake News, From Theory to Conditions

Persuasive psychology theory that suggests ways to change preconceptions
Nudge theory: inducing natural change instead of direct regulation
Social Identity Complex Theory: A Method for Shedding Exocentricity
Cognitive vaccine theory that demonstrates immune effects
Synchronized Inference Suppression Theory to Block Conspiracy Theories
Media literacy education is backfiring
Various theories, differences in effectiveness

06 Korea's Special Features and Countermeasures against Fake News

How to Deal with Fake News in a Polarized Society
The Unusual News Ecosystem: How to Respond Effectively
Countermeasures in the event of a conspiracy theory outbreak
Responding to Fake News in Regional Conflicts

07 Fake news with increased destructive power due to asymmetric response

Involvement in and promotion of social crime
Denying science and threatening public health
Fake news that even eliminates jobs
A chain of public opinion distortion and harm
Repeated harm caused by asymmetrical response

08 Debubbling right now

Notable fake news mechanisms
Preemptive vs.
Post-response
The best solution available in reality
Roles and responsibilities of each responding entity

Fake news is more dangerous than climate change.
Identify like this and respond like this!

★ Systematic analysis and solutions based on theory and empirical data! ★
★ Different response strategies and the differences in effectiveness depending on the fake news environment! ★
★ South Korea's Unique News Ecosystem and How to Deal with Fake News! ★

Out of control, unavoidable!
We consume fake news every day.

In the age of information and AI, fake news has become a part of everyday life.
It is to the point where people say that fake news is more dangerous than abnormal weather.
Surrounded by powerful algorithms like YouTube, we are forced to do our own fact-checking.
The psychological resistance level to fake news has also gradually decreased, making it easier to tolerate lies, thinking, "It's nothing special."
In line with this trend, dark forces that create and spread fake news and seek to profit from it are gaining increasing power.
Many people feel that fake news is out of control.
Because it is difficult to find an appropriate response.
In this context, this book analyzes fake news in depth and across multiple dimensions, drawing on theory and empirical data, and then suggests specific countermeasures.
Considering the domestic situation where there are few books dealing with countermeasures against fake news, the value of this book is all the more remarkable.


“Fake news is even destroying jobs?”
Optimal Response Methods and Specific Effects Depending on the Fake News Environment

This book comprehensively explores the psychological mechanisms, distribution methods, and circumvention tactics of fake news, presenting theoretical explorations and proven countermeasures.
The creation of fake news involves mechanisms such as confirmation bias, heuristics, group conformity, motivated reasoning, and social identity.
The author, who has extensive experience producing and distributing news for daily newspapers, broadcasters, and magazines, cites various domestic and international examples to explain in detail how fake news distorts public opinion.
This book introduces theories of persuasion psychology that change preconceptions themselves, nudge theory that induces natural change instead of regulation, methods to reduce trust in conspiracy theories by creating multiple social identities, and cognitive vaccine theory with proven immune effects.
At the same time, we will verify the effectiveness of media literacy education, which has emerged as a countermeasure against fake news.
Fake news doesn't just pop up one day.
The context in which it is created, distributed, and consumed is important.
Therefore, we must employ the most appropriate response method suited to the environment in which fake news is distributed.
This is because the difference in effectiveness becomes clear depending on which response method is used in which situation.


The very unique news ecosystem of South Korea
How to Deal with Fake News in a Polarized Society!

The highlight of this book is its approach to dealing with fake news tailored to the domestic situation.
South Korea is a typical polarized society.
In general, a coping method that suppresses the state of accepting only the information one wants (motivated reasoning) is effective, but in a polarized society, communication within the group (in-group persuasion) such as "let's not believe fake news" is much more effective.
It is said that using a 'cognitive vaccine' that warns people of fake news techniques in advance can have the effect of reducing trust in fake news by about 20% in both conservative and progressive camps.
It also explains how to respond when conspiracy theories emerge and how to respond to fake news in situations of regional conflict.


To those who feel frustrated watching fake news run wild

The title of this book, 'Debubbling Public Opinion,' implies dismantling the bubble of fake news in public opinion.
This is because we believe that the fundamental solution is not a one-off blocking measure that bursts the bubble, but rather a gradual and structural change to the news ecosystem itself.
For those who have been contemplating solutions while observing the increasingly vicious and evolving nature of fake news, including President Trump's intentional dissemination of fake news, fake news that threatened life and health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fake news targeting immigrants and people of color, leading to crime and economic harm, this book can be a ray of light.
This article is recommended for practitioners in policy-making bodies related to the media and public opinion, experts in government agencies and media organizations, marketing practitioners in companies requiring media response, and readers who wish to develop their own fake news response skills.