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The role of fake news and hate speech in the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign : a case study on Jo Cox’s murder

Varia, Concetta
(2022)

Files

Varia_76472000_2022.pdf
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  • 1.39 MB

Details

Supervisors
Arblaster, Paul
Faculty
Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres
Degree label
Master [120] en communication multilingue, à finalité spécialisée: langues des affaires
Abstract
This thesis seeks to find the connections between the spread of fake news and hate speech during the Brexit referendum campaign, the victory of Leave, and the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox. More specifically, the aim is to explore how British public opinion was manipulated by the diffusion of fake news on social media platforms and which means were deployed by Leave politicians and supporters to influence the referendum’s outcomes. Furthermore, this work argues that the climate of tension created by pro-Brexit politicians’ inflammatory rhetoric encouraged Thomas Mair in the execution of Jo Cox’s assassination – which can be fully regarded as a hate crime. Lastly, to further investigate the disruptive impacts of fake news on the interactional and institutional orders of society, this thesis examines the conspiracy theories and digital prophecies that circulated on Twitter in the aftermath of Cox’s death.