Disinformation and Hoaxes Used for Profit Intentions
Disinformation and Hoaxes Used for Profit Intentions

Summary/Abstract: Dissemination of misinformation, hoaxes and fake news is currently the most prominent problem not only in the world of media, but also in society. Not only during the pandemic, half-truths and disinformation published on the Internet or expressed by politicians proved to be of great strength in shaping the opinions of individuals and groups of people. Therefore, it is not unusual for the tactics and techniques of media manipulation and propaganda in the form of hoaxes to be taken over by organizations whose goal is not to influence society with a political intention, but for financial or material gain. In this study, we therefore deal with basic persuasive and manipulative techniques with an emphasis on hoaxes and misinformation, which are also applicable in marketing. We explain what principles hoaxes work on and why they belong to the tools of manipulation. The aim of the study is to describe in detail what disinformation techniques are used in texts and articles aimed at enticing the audience to buy. Based on the analysis of three articles that have been published on questionable websites, we will generalize in the form of a case study data from the content analysis, which may be further applicable in similar cases. Identifying them can help in other cases of fake messages with an advertising character and thus influence the shopping behaviour of the audience in order to reduce financial damage on the part of users.

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