Anne P. Mintz - Web of Deceit: Misinformation and Manipulation in the Age of Social Media

The authors of the chapters that follow deserve kudos for shining a light on the subjects of misinformation and manipulation in the age of social media. These contributors brought insight and creativity to the project, and I am honored that they agreed to take part. I thank them for their willingness to share their understanding about the pitfalls of using the internet as an information source along with their valuable advice on navigating around them.

In order of first appearance, the contributors to Web of Deceit are: Meg Smith, a crackerjack news researcher who reveals how social media can be used to deceive and defraud; Cynthia Hetherington, an expert in online intelligence and public records research who looks at identity theft and privacy issues; Eli Edwards, an attorney and researcher who shows how messages of hatred and intolerance are being spread in the digital age; Ben Fractenberg, a reporter and news producer who reviews a range of online criminal activities and the threats they pose to the unwary; Deborah A. Liptak, whose background in military communications and research informs her views on information warfare and the technologies of deception; Laura Gordon-Murnane, a webmaster and researcher who explores key intersections of news and politics, and how they impact our lives; Craig Thompson, a reporter and researcher who takes a timely look at how charity scams successfully target the philanthropic among us; and Amber Benham, a journalist and educator who presents a primer on the critical evaluation of information sources that is not to be missed.

John B. Bryans, editor-in-chief and publisher of the Book Publishing Division at Information Today, Inc., was immediately supportive of a sequel to Web of Deception (CyberAge Books, 2002). I was eager to work with him a second time. He trusted our collective judgment completely to make it happen as we envisioned it. John is a wise editor who made the text even better, and I thank him for his role in making the book come to life.

Amy Reeve, managing editor, contributed enormous professional expertise that is invisible to the reader but impacted every page of the book. The care she brought to the production process is truly appreciated.

Tom Hogan Sr., president of Information Today, Inc., is a good friend (still), who believes in me (still), and was willing to take yet another risk. He (still) disproves the clich that one should never do business with friends.

To other friends and colleagues: Bill Barrett at Forbes, Joanna Hernandez at the Washington Post, cybersecurity expert Andy Norton, and the Anti-Defamation Leagues Jonathan Vick reviewed sections of the manuscript and provided excellent input. Searcher magazines Barbara Quint helped to conceptualize the book and offered a number of useful suggestions. Their contributions are greatly appreciated. A big thank you to my professional colleagues, from whom I learn something new every day. And thanks to the rest of my friends for their unwavering support. Its been a great trip so far.

Anne P. Mintz