The End of Information

Are we really living in a 'post-truth age'? Have ideas like information, knowledge and truth passed their sell-by date? Is 'information disorder' leading to the terminal decline of democracy? Or will fact-checkers, media regulators and educators come to the rescue?    The End of Information cuts through the exaggerated claims that have been made about these issues. Interrogating the key terms in the debate, including trust, democracy, news, and information itself, the book offers a clear-eyed evaluation of potential solutions to the problem. It also considers the implications for education, in relation to key issues like literacy and knowledge. It argues that we need to look, not just at the symptoms of information disorder, but also at their wider political and economic causes; and it suggests that these will not be amenable to a simple 'information fix'.   Accessibly written by a leading scholar in the field, this book provides a clear introduction to the information disorders of our times, and some fresh thinking about how they might be addressed. Concise, engaging and incisive, it is essential reading for students, scholars and teachers alike. Are we really living in a 'post-truth age'? Have ideas like information, knowledge and truth passed their sell-by date? Is 'information disorder' leading to the terminal decline of democracy? Or will fact-checkers, media regulators and educators come to the rescue?    The End of Information cuts through the exaggerated claims that have been made about these issues. Interrogating the key terms in the debate, including trust, democracy, news, and information itself, the book offers a clear-eyed evaluation of potential solutions to the problem. It also considers the implications for education, in relation to key issues like literacy and knowledge. It argues that we need to look, not just at the symptoms of information disorder, but also at their wider political and economic causes; and it suggests that these will not be amenable to a simple 'information fix'.   Accessibly written by a leading scholar in the field, this book provides a clear introduction to the information disorders of our times, and some fresh thinking about how they might be addressed. Concise, engaging and incisive, it is essential reading for students, scholars and teachers alike.

David Buckingham is Honorary Professor at the Institute of Education, University College London, and Emeritus Professor of Media and Communications at Loughborough University.