How disinformation and ‘conflict entrepreneurs’ thrive in the modern attention economy
Media and creators’ thirst for attention is nurturing the growth of conflict entrepreneurs who are driving disinformation and shaping public opinion. Here are ways credible research can neutralize their influence.
04.28.26
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Read the full What the Future: Attention issue
Since April 2020, Ipsos has surveyed American consumer attitudes on topics like the economy, artificial intelligence (AI) and current events via the biweekly Consumer Tracker. Sometimes, questions build on prior What the Future questions. Here's what we learned when we resurveyed a 2020 question from our Truth issue on the Consumer Tracker.
Why we asked: As brands battle for people’s attention, they no longer control their brand messages nor the ecosystem they exist in. Their worlds are continually shaped by user-generated content, disruption and declining trust. Couple that with growing competition among content creators for people’s attention and the environment is ripe for hyperbole, misinformation and disinformation to thrive.
In the interview with journalist and author Amanda Ripley, she discusses how in polarized markets, “conflict entrepreneurs” inflame polarity for profit, importance, attention, among other reasons. This breed of influencer thrives on crafting high-conflict narratives in uncontrolled, trust-deficient spaces.
There are plenty of unintentional ways that brands get drawn into conflict or misinformation, but when a conflict entrepreneur gets involved brand messages can spiral out of control. The challenge is universal, affecting both consumer and business-to-business environments. Marketers on both sides recognize the need for trust. To arm brands against these unchecked narratives, information and truth are the best defenses to remain resilient, understand the message impacts and manage trust effectively.
What we found: More than three in four people across 20 countries identifying that spreading disinformation to influence public opinion as the top global threat, and 82% of Americans agree, according to an Ipsos poll for the Halifax Security Forum. So strategic insight is critical to navigate these challenges.
https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/future/how-disinformation-and-conflict-entrepreneurs-thrive-modern-attention-economy
