The Shifting Sands of Knowledge: Navigating Disinformation in Our Cities
For decades, we’ve lived in a world where “knowledge is power” wasn’t just a catchy phrase, but the very foundation of our economies and societies. Since the late 1990s, the buzz was all about “knowledge capitalism” – a new era where information, ideas, and expertise were the ultimate gold. Cities, in particular, were seen as the shining centers of this transformation. They were either actively embracing this new wave, becoming hubs where brilliant minds could connect and innovate, or they were places where people dreamed of using this newfound knowledge to build fairer, more democratic societies. Whether you saw knowledge as a tool for making money or a lever for social justice, everyone seemed to agree that “knowledge” and “information” were pretty straightforward concepts, things we could trust. Experts mostly focused on how cities could attract talented people and foster collaborations to gain economic advantages, while critics worried about the growing inequalities that this techno-capitalist race to extract value from our urban spaces was creating.
But now, something has fundamentally shifted. It feels like we’ve stumbled headfirst into a “disinformation age” – or as some call it, an “infodemic.” The optimistic promises of the “information age” that Daniel Bell and Manuel Castells envisioned seem to have soured. In today’s turbulent global landscape, the very definition of “knowledge” and “information” is constantly being questioned, debated, and weaponized. What was once seen as a neutral resource is now a battleground. Disinformation itself isn’t a new phenomenon; lies and propaganda have always existed. However, the sheer speed, scale, and intensity of its spread today are terrifyingly unprecedented. This new reality is woven into a complex tapestry of rising authoritarianism, the erosion of democratic values, and powerful new technologies designed to control information. Digital innovations, originally hailed as tools for progress, are now being re-purposed to exert urban control, and this new dynamic is reshaping global power structures. While there’s some emerging academic work – often from outside the traditional urban studies – exploring how local communities and institutions are fighting against this “truth decay” amidst declining trust in democracy, it’s still largely an uncharted territory.
This transformation calls for a deeper look into how disinformation is impacting our urban lives. We’re grappling with three core questions: First, how are our cities being scarred by disinformation, whether it’s through government-backed propaganda or the commercialization of fake stories for profit? Second, how are urban communities and authorities responding to this onslaught – are they inadvertently fueling it, actively resisting it, or simply trying to absorb the shockwaves? And third, what new layers of inequality are being created or exacerbated by this new digital divide, where access to reliable information becomes a luxury? We’re especially keen on understanding this phenomenon through the lens of diverse global cities – from the East to the West, North to the South. We want case studies that challenge our assumptions and help us build a new agenda for understanding cities in this age of disinformation, always keeping an eye on the bigger geopolitical picture.
The areas we’re exploring are vast and varied. We’re looking at the evolving landscape of the disinformation economy – where are the data centers, the “scam factories,” and the “bot farms” physically located? How does disinformation flow through human networks and non-human systems, and how is it processed and transmitted? We need to understand how the geopolitics of state-sponsored and corporate AI infrastructure, and the rise of “Disinformation-as-a-Service” (DaaS), are integrated into the very fabric of our urban systems. We’re also examining how different national regimes are using disinformation and the impact it has on cities, even leading to the creation of “news deserts” where reliable local information simply dries up. It’s crucial to understand how disinformation affects urban politics, everyday life, and different groups within cities – how people with varying experiences and vulnerabilities are exposed to and react to false narratives. We’re delving into the history of street-level disinformation, from local media manipulation to contemporary urban contexts. And finally, we’re keenly interested in counter-disinformation strategies, from municipal government initiatives to grassroots resistance movements that re-purpose disinformation for social justice, creating alternative information ecosystems and pushing for “data citizenship” where everyone has the right to accurate and relevant information.
If you’re as fascinated and concerned about these issues as we are, we invite you to share your insights. We’re looking for papers that offer critical perspectives on these themes. To present, please send us a title and an abstract (no more than 300 words), along with 4-6 keywords and a brief biography. Remember to include the full names, institutional affiliations, and email addresses for all authors, and clearly indicate the corresponding author. Please send your submissions to [email protected] and [email protected] by Friday, February 27th.
This is planned as an in-person session, and the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) has indicated limited hybrid capacity for those who cannot attend physically. However, if your work aligns with these critical themes but travel isn’t possible, please still reach out – we would genuinely love to hear from you and explore ways to include your valuable contributions. The deadline for us to submit to RGS is March 6th, and panels will be officially accepted by April 27th. We believe that by collectively examining these profound shifts, we can begin to understand, resist, and ultimately, reshape the narrative in this new and challenging disinformation age, ensuring our cities remain spaces of knowledge, truth, and genuine connection.