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Information and communication technologies hold immense potential to enhance our lives and societal well-being. However, digital spaces have also emerged as a fertile ground for fake news campaigns and hate speech, aggravating polarization and posing a threat to societal harmony. Despite the fact that this dark side is acknowledged in the literature, the complexity of polarization as a phenomenon coupled with the socio-technical nature of fake news necessitates a novel approach to unravel its intricacies. In light of this sophistication, the current study employs complexity theory and a configurational approach to investigate the impact of diverse disinformation campaigns and hate speech in polarizing societies across 177 countries through a cross-country investigation. The results demonstrate the definitive role of disinformation and hate speech in polarizing societies. The findings also offer a balanced perspective on internet censorship and social media monitoring as necessary evils to combat the disinformation menace and control polarization, but suggest that such efforts may lend support to a milieu of hate speech that fuels polarization. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of online disinformation and hate speech on a country's image, considering its implications for the destination's image and tourism prospects. Utilizing the theoretical lens of soft power, the study performs a macro-level empirical analysis across 56 countries on the influence of a diverse array of online disinformation variants and hate speech on the nation's brand image. The results from the configurational analysis demonstrate the increasing dominance of state and partisan factions-led disinformation, which collectively impact the nation's image. The findings also shed light on the diminishing role of foreign disinformation, while the ancillary function of online hate emphasizes the significance of disinformation amplified hate speech, which has become increasingly commonplace in global political discourse, with such disinformation campaigns using hate speech as an amplification strategy. The study contributes to contemporary tourism research, which underscores the vitality of the country's image to tourism and offers recommendations to destination marketing organizations towards intensifying efforts to preserve the country's image. • A nation's brand image affects a destination's image and tourism prospects. • Disinformation and hate speech pose a grave threat to nations' brand image. • A cross-country study evaluates impact of these constructs on nations' brand image. • Combined dominance of disinformation by state and partisan factions is highlighted. •The ancillary role of hate speech is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nation's development is determined by its predisposition for innovation and commitment to fostering innovation ecosystems. However, the political structures and disinformation within them represent a significant threat to innovation endeavors. Despite disinformation's far-reaching repercussions, its role in stifling innovation remains largely unknown. Anchored on the need to shed light on its debilitating effects, the current study examines the influence of social media disinformation from the government, political parties, and foreign governments in derailing nations' innovation performance. Drawing upon complexity theory and configurational analysis, the results of a cross-country examination based on data from 2021 to 22 and encompassing 131 nations indicate that the spread of disinformation by governments and political parties poses an increasing threat to innovation performance, surpassing the influence exerted by foreign disinformation. The supplemental analysis reinforces this finding but emphasizes that the risk of foreign disinformation remains a persistent concern for innovation efforts in developed countries. The results have implications for the emergent body of technology research on the dark side of social media and the escalating crisis of false information over the past few years while also extending recent claims regarding the role of political systems in influencing the innovation ecosystem within countries. • Political disinformation poses a significant threat to nations' innovation endeavors. • A cross-country configurational analysis provides empirical evidence of this threat. • Social media disinformation by governments and political parties surpasses the impact exerted by foreign disinformation. • Developed nations cannot disregard foreign disinformation and must minimize it to exhibit strong innovation performance. • The findings are significant for research on dark side of social media and the escalating crisis of political disinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]