Disinformation as Quasi-Object: A Case Study in the Construction of Expertise

The past decade has witnessed an explosion of concern about the spread of disinformation and misinformation online. Virtually overnight, the labelling of disinformation as a potent threat to political stability and societal wellbeing led to the creation and credentialing of a whole new class of experts and regulators. This article uses the emergence of this ‘counter-disinformation industry’ as a case study in the constructed nature of expert knowledge. More specifically, it analyses the concept of disinformation as a quasi-object, a conceptual or statistical construct deployed to establish connections between different bodies of knowledge, fields of social action, institutions, organisations and actors, realigning them in networks which shape societal expectations, norms, and actions. It is argued that a large part of the work of experts involves the manufacture, circulation, and manipulation of such ‘quasi-objects’.