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    February 13th, 2012LISWire aggregatorLISWire
    February 14, 2012, Medford, NJ—Information Today, Inc. (ITI) announced the publication of Web of Deceit: Misinformation and Manipulation in the Age of Social Media, edited by business researcher and author Anne P. Mintz. In 2002, prior to the emergence of internet social networks, Mintz’s critically acclaimed book, Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet, alerted a generation of internet users to the dangers of relying on information found on websites. With the publication of Web of Deceit, Mintz returns with a new team of researchers, journalists, and subject experts to show how intentional misinformation is spread today utilizing an array of social media tools, sites, and networks. Epitomized by such popular resources as Facebook, Myspace, eBay, Twitter, and Craigslist, the worldwide social media phenomenon provides manipulative individuals and organizations with the means to spread misinformation and propaganda on an unprecedented scale, according to Mintz. “Bending the truth or telling outright lies is not new,” she said. “It’s just the messenger who has changed, and this messenger spreads the word lightning fast and to far-flung places.” In Web of Deceit, Mintz and eight expert contributors explore many of the social media channels and techniques used by unscrupulous people and organizations to take advantage of the unwary. Chapters illuminate the how, what, and why of identity theft, hate sites, ecommerce fraud, US trade data statistics, information warfare, political propaganda, charity scams, and more. Special features include a guide to evaluating the information integrity of websites and an annotated glossary of terms. “Anne Mintz has once again assembled some savvy writers who have a lot to teach us about being safe on the web,” said Ari L. Goldman of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. “The dangers of social media command our attention now more than ever, and this book is a must-read for anyone who socializes, shops, or interacts online. In other words, all of us!” Readers can access more content on the book's website at www.webofdeceit.net. ABOUT THE EDITOR Anne P. Mintz spent several decades as the director of information centers in media and investment banking before becoming a freelance business researcher, writer, and editor. Her current endeavors include working on behalf of publishers to present their content online in searchable formats. She is the editor of Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet (CyberAge Books, 2002) and numerous articles on the quality of online information. She holds a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts and an MLS from Rutgers University. ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS Contributors to Web of Deceit include Amber Benham (“Evaluating Websites”), Eli Edwards(“Demonizing the ‘Other’”), Ben Fractenberg (“Ebuyer Beware”), Laura Gordon-Murnane (“The Intentional Misleading of the American Public”), Cynthia Hetherington (“They Know Where You Live”), Deborah A. Liptak (“Information Warfare and Cybersecurity”; “The Technologies of Deceit”), Meg Smith (“Social Media and Intentional Misinformation”), Craig Thompson (“Charity Scams”), and Anne P. Mintz (“If It’s on the Internet, It Must Be True”). Web of Deceit: Misinformation and Manipulation in the Age of Social Media (224 pp/softbound/ $29.95/ISBN 978-0-910965-91-0) is a CyberAge book published by Information Today, Inc. (ITI). It is available wherever books and ebooks are sold through Independent Publishers Group (IPG), www.ipgbook.com. For more information or to order call (800) 300-9868 [outside U.S. call (609) 654-6266]; fax (609) 654-4309; email custserv@infotoday.com; or visit the ITI website at www.infotoday.com.