Internet governance in the “post-truth era”: Analyzing key topics in “fake news” discussions at IGF

The governance of information sharing online is a complicated issue, especially in context of varying global perspectives on speech rights, freedom of expression, the role of news media, and core internet values. While discussions of misinformation/disinformation and their like have existed for millennia, 2016 marked a move into what some have called a “post-truth era,” where information, both true and not, has become weaponized for political gain. This paper seeks to examine how discussions at the UN Internet Governance Forum unfold by analyzing transcripts of misinformation sessions from 2016 to 2019, asking (1) What key terms are used most often during these discussions? (2) Have and how have these frequent terms evolved over time? Applying the CRISP-DM approach to text mining, I find that overall prominent terms are “internet” and “people,” though the frequent terms vary differently when analyzed by year, showing an evolution of the discussion from 2016— “rights” and “journalists”—to 2019— “data” and “content.” This study provides insights into the de/refining of the causes, vectors of and remedies to the ongoing information crisis. •Normative applications of “fake news” rhetoric have evolved in post-truth era.•Key terms in “fake news” discussions have shifted from 2016 to 2019.•Term usage of “fake” peaked in 2017 and 2018, then disappeared.•“Fake news” discussions shifted from “rights” and “journalists” to “data” and “content”.