Content confusion: News media, native advertising, and policy in an era of disinformation 

Content Confusion (MIT Press) critically examines how mainstream news organizations collaborate with powerful advertisers—including the fossil fuel industry—in ways that blur the lines between journalism and advertising. This blurring fuels disinformation, undermines media trust, and complicates democratic discourse around urgent issues like climate change and sustainability. 

About Michelle Amazeen

Dr. Michelle A. Amazeen is Associate Dean of Research and Associate Professor of Mass Communication at Boston University’s College of Communication, where she also directs the Communication Research Center. Her research focuses on persuasion and misinformation, examining how misinformation spreads and how to correct it. She employs qualitative and quantitative methods to create insights useful for journalists, educators, policymakers, and consumers in recognizing and resisting misinformation. 

A contributor to The Debunking Handbook 2020, Dr. Amazeen has been ranked among the top 2% of highly-cited scholars worldwide by Stanford University since 2021. Her work has appeared in leading journals and been cited in over 60 policy documents globally. She has advised organizations like the Australian Academy of Science and the European Research Council, and presented to U.S. agencies including the Federal Trade Commission and Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Amazeen is also a co-investigator on the Boston University Climate Disinformation Initiative.