Misinformation has been a topic of increasing concern in recent years, and in Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation, Dannagal Goldthwaite Young (Irony and Outrage) examines the unique cultural structures in the United States that make its citizens particularly susceptible. Young, a professor of communications and political science, takes a reasoned, academic approach to the topic but does so in a mostly accessible manner, making this title appropriate for lay readers. Using the U.S. political and social landscape as a lens, Young argues that a person's need to comprehend the world, feel control over their surroundings, and connect with their community (what she calls the three "C"s) drives the formation of mega-identities, which are then reinforced by journalism and social media outlets.
Alignment with these mega-identities causes people to believe things that evidence does not support, and Young hopes greater understanding might disrupt the tendency to act on those misperceptions. Young, strongest in her explication of in-group norming, notes the inclination to share false narratives, "as if to say, 'How do people like us process something as confusing and difficult as this?' " Though trying for an unbiased perspective, the book struggles as it highlights examples drawn primarily from one side of the political divide, leaving readers to wonder if it will reach a broad enough audience to have its desired impact. Still, it offers valuable insight and works to strengthen democracy and the social connectedness still possible in the United States. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian