Research Information System
in: Media Literacy and the Politics of Digital Misinformation, Ghosh Paramu Thinnakkakath, Editor, IGI Global, New York, pp.29-56, 2026
The digital information order has precipitated a structural crisis conceptualized as “Truth Decay”, the systematic erosion of shared factual foundations necessary for deliberation. This chapter synthesizes Truth Decay with the prescriptive framework of “Epistemic Resilience” to offer pathways for restoring democratic knowledge systems. It argues that reactive measures like fact-checking are insufficient against systemic digital deception. Instead, the chapter operationalizes resilience through durability, adaptability, and recovery. It explores mechanisms like “cognitive inoculation” and “epistemic literacy,” moving beyond simple source verification. Furthermore, the analysis maps critical tensions, such as the balance between skepticism and cynicism. This work advocates for a paradigm shift from information control to cultivating cognitive and institutional immunity, prioritizing trust restoration over mere factual correction.