  Disinformation research has proliferated in reaction to widespread false,
problematic beliefs purported to explain major social phenomena. Yet while the
effects of disinformation are well-known, there is less consensus about its
causes; the research spans several disciplines, each focusing on different
pieces. This article contributes to this growing field by reviewing prevalent
U.S. disinformation discourse (academic writing, media, and corporate and
government narrative) and outlining the dominant understanding, or paradigm, of
the disinformation problem by analyzing cross-disciplinary discourse about the
content, individual, group, and institutional layers of the problem. The result
is an individualistic explanation largely blaming social media, malicious
individuals or nations, and irrational people. Yet this understanding has
shortcomings: notably, that its limited, individualistic views of truth and
rationality obscures the influence of oppressive ideologies and media or
domestic actors in creating flawed worldviews and spreading disinformation. The
article then concludes by putting forth an alternative, sociopolitical paradigm
that allows subjective models of the world to govern rationality and
information processing -- largely informed by social and group identity --
which are being formed and catered to by institutional actors (corporations,
media, political parties, and the government) to maintain or gain legitimacy
for their actions.
