Dirty Journalism: The Political Economy, Ethics, and Psychology of Manufactured Narratives

Abstract

Dirty journalism refers to the deliberate distortion, fabrication, or manipulation of facts, events, and discourses by media actors in pursuit of political, corporate, or ideological interests. It is an epistemic crime against democracy: while journalism is ideally tasked with holding power accountable, dirty journalism performs the inverse—it launders power through information. This paper interrogates the structural, psychological, and institutional underpinnings of dirty journalism as a form of communicative violence. We situate the phenomenon within critical political economy, post-truth theory, propaganda models, and the sociology of knowledge production. We examine how ownership structures, surveillance capitalism, partisan media ecosystems, and platform incentives create a fertile ground for dirty journalism. We also explore how disinformation, gaslighting, character assassination, and “strategic ignorance” are deployed as journalistic tactics. The consequences are devastating: erosion of public trust, polarization, electoral manipulation, and epistemic injustice. The paper closes with a normative and policy-oriented reflection on ethical journalism, media literacy, and institutional reform.