Democracy and the Politics of Lies: How Fake News and Disinformation Are Defining Democracy

Democracy has never required unanimity. It has required a shared commitment to reality.

In Democracy and the Politics of Lies, Dr. Edet Ukpong-Dan-a physician and social researcher-exposes how fake news and disinformation have moved from the margins to the mainstream, becoming a defining force in modern politics. From election conspiracies and vaccine hoaxes to algorithmic amplification and state-sponsored propaganda, lies now spread faster, stick deeper, and cause more damage than ever before.

Drawing on psychology, history, media studies, and political theory, this book answers three urgent questions: Why do lies work? How do they reshape democratic systems? And what can be done to stop them?

Ukpong-Dan dissects the architecture of disinformation-cognitive biases, attention-driven platforms, polarised echo chambers, and the economics of outrage-while refusing fatalism. He offers a clear-eyed roadmap for renewal: stronger local journalism, media literacy in every classroom, platform accountability without censorship, and a restored culture of truth as a public good.

Written for general readers, journalists, policymakers, and students, Democracy and the Politics of Lies is both a warning and a call to action. It argues that defending democracy means defending truth-not as a partisan weapon, but as the foundation of self-government.

Praise for Democracy and the Politics of Lies:

"A powerful, interdisciplinary anatomy of the post-truth era. Ukpong-Dan shows that disinformation isn't a bug in democracy-it's a weapon."

"Essential reading for anyone who still believes that facts matter."