A convergence of existential crises – climate change, geopolitical instability, and socio-economic inequality, among others – has tested the policymaking capacities of governments at all scales. While definitions of and solutions to complex or ‘wicked’ problems are not always straightforward or uncontested, the tools of public policy intervention in legacy governance systems rely substantially on observable and verifiable evidence. This information often comes from scientists, experts, and other knowledge authorities. However, the terms of debate have shifted from how to act on shared understandings of facts to contestation of facts themselves. Socio-political polarization has elevated the salience of anti-fact, anti-expert, and anti-elite discourses, magnified further by social media and potentially by artificial intelligence. The spread of disinformation and ‘fake news’ frustrates policy efforts to establish a commonly accepted narrative about societal problems and solutions. These forces place policy advisory bodies in a politically sensitive position, even as their input becomes an essential safeguard against the disruptive or malicious obfuscation of truth. This chapter discusses the state of knowledge concerning the impact of disinformation on policy advice and proposes new ways of approaching the challenge, including acceptance of and engagement with epistemic destabilization.
https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/book/9781035318087/chapter49.xml
Hartley, Kris. (2025). “The Impact of Social Media, ‘Fake News,’ and Disinformation on Policy Advice.” In Howlett, M. and Mukherjee, I. (eds.), Handbook of Policy Advice (pp. 660-672). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035318087.00068