Telegram and disinformation: A systematic review of toxic content in the age of polycrisis

Abstract

Through a systematic review, this study explores research at the intersection of Telegram and disinformation, arguing that in an era of polycrisis, marked by heightened uncertainty and evolving forms of misinformation, a fragile information ecosystem has emerged. Within this environment, semi-regulated platforms such as Telegram, have become increasingly prominent as spaces where diverse actors circulate disinformation. This trend highlights the growing need for structured and systematic scientific inquiry into the relationship between Telegram and disinformation. Accordingly, the study examines 34 articles retrieved from three major academic databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and Directory of Open Access (DOAJ). An inductive analytical approach is adopted to enable a multidimensional assessment of the selected studies, focusing on their thematic orientations, methodological designs, and analytical practices. The findings reveal key patterns in how Telegram is conceptualized within the disinformation landscape, identifying dominant research themes and methodological tendencies, as well as core variables that position the platform as a significant hub for misinformation.

Keywords

• Telegram
• disinformation
• polycrisis
• instant messaging services

Telegram ve dezenformasyon: Toksik içeriğin polikriz çağındaki durumu üzerine bir sistematik gözden geçirme

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Telegram ve dezenformasyon kesişimindeki araştırmaları sistematik gözden geçirme yaklaşımıyla incelemektedir. Yanlış bilginin yeni formlarının yeni bağlamlarda ortaya çıktığı polikriz çağında, belirsizliğin artması kırılgan bir bilgi ekosisteminin mevcudiyetine sebep olmaktadır. Bu noktada, Telegram gibi yarı-denetimli alanların kullanımı yaygınlaşmakta; dezenformatif içerik söz konusu kanallar üzerinden dolaşıma girerek dijital ekosisteme dağılmaktadır. Bu durum dezenformasyon ve Telegram kesişiminde bilimsel bilginin üretimini ve yapılandırılmasını gerekli kılmaktadır. Telegram gibi yarı-denetimli alanlara yönelik gerçekleştirilen çalışmaların sistematik bir biçimde gözden geçirilmesi bu süreçteki bilgi ihtiyacına etkin bir yanıt geliştirebilmek adına önemlidir. Bu kapsamda Telegram ve dezenformasyon ilişkisini konu alan çalışmalar üzerinden bir sistematik gözden geçirme yapılması gerekli görülmüştür. Araştırmalar Web of Science, Scopus ve DOAJ olmak üzere üç bilimsel veritabanından toplanmış, 34 çalışma incelemeye tabi tutulmuştur. Benimsenen tümevarımcı perspektifle, araştırmalar çok boyutlu biçimde keşfedilmiştir. Bulgular, Telegram ve dezenformasyon kesişimindeki çalışmaların tematik karakteristiğine; araştırmaların metodolojik tasarım ve uygulamalarına ışık tuttuğu gibi Telegram’ı yanlış bilgi için bir merkez hâline getiren değişkenlerin keşfine de olanak tanımaktadır.

Keywords

• Telegram
• dezenformasyon
• polikriz
• anlık mesajlaşma servisleri

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