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The broader analytical framing of systematically distorted communication (SDC) helps extract value out of the enormous amount of scholarship on fake news.

The massive literature on fake news has been the subject of handbook overviews, systematic literature reviews, summaries, taxonomies, citation studies and so on. Deploying these tools, the approaches that the literature takes can be characterized, Habermas' concept of systematically distorted communication (SDC) will then be presented in its context, reviewed and put to work to frame fake news research to tell us new things that individual pieces of specific analysis and research do not. Conclusions will be offered from this analysis.

Fake news research has become repetitive, revolving around themes such as the fate of journalism, the role of technology, remediating its effects and deep dives into definitional components (disinformation, misinformation, lies and so on). A broader framing of systematically distorted communication allows us to arrive at some conclusions about contemporary fake news: that it is a power strategy with a particular right-wing slant and it creates a sociology – that is, its own interpretive environment – hostile to democratic functioning. It answers the question: what is fake news for?

A perspective on fake news research is much needed and Habermas' concept is a useful framing mechanism for the large corpus of research. Systematically distorted communication asks – and answers – different questions of the research. Meanwhile, SDC itself is modified by its application to fake news research and contemporary conditions.

Recently, major projects have been conducted using a strategic alliance set‐up, where participating organisations work together, collaboratively, within the same organisation structure consisting of personnel from each organisation. The ethos of the strategic alliance encourages an integrated, unified working environment. A study of the communication networks in a major strategic alliance project was undertaken in November 2000. This involved conducting a communication audit that included five unstructured interviews. Participants included a broad range of project team members, matched to some of Belbin’s team role profiles. The paper discusses the principal factors affecting internal communication, as revealed from the analysis of the interview data.

This essay examines the broad thesis of organizational learning theorist Chris Argyris in terms of communicative action, and finds his critical understanding of Model I and the emancipatory potential embedded in double‐loop learning consistent with prominent themes in critical organization study.

This article explores the situation whereby small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) communicate with the many agencies that attempt to provide information, training programmes and other initiatives. The problems encountered are explained in terms of Clegg’s (1989) (Circuits of Power’ model. By this means, it is demonstrated that systemic power is exerted on the basis of (resource dependency’, firstly by government (EU and national) and its selected agencies and subsequently by the agencies to the SMEs. As a result it provides a political and theoretical contribution that addresses the hegemonic effect of a knowledge management system. Within such a critical epistemology, it is almost inevitable that Habermasian notions of the (ideal speech situation’ are invoked. As the discussion on power relationships unravels, instances of (systematically distorted’ communication are uncovered (Habermas, 1968; 1971; 1979). The linkage between knowledge and power (Introna, 1997) is also used to demonstrate how prevailing attitudes amongst agencies damage communication with SMEs.

The purpose of this paper is to flesh out a truncated line of analysis in library and information science (LIS) of language analyses of power in the field.

Literature-based conceptual analysis of the problems engendered by neoliberalism in LIS and the productive approach of language analysis of Austin, Habermas, and Smith that allows us to account for neoliberalism’s effects in language and practices – doing things with words.

LIS has engaged a productive postmodern analysis of power relations that reflects social and economic progress, but Austin, Habermas, and Smith offer a sensible, practical explanation for the operation of neoliberal hegemony on the practices of librarianship.

Postmodern analyses are now being deployed in portions of LIS, but they fail to account for the full implications of the dominant public language (and policy and practices) of neoliberalism for librarianship. This is productive exploration of those implications to correct and round out those analyses.

Examines how information systems design may enable progress towards the “ideal speech situation” where free and undistorted communication between equally empowered agents may take place and result in a consensus that has been rationally negotiated. Considers the assumptions of several current information systems design proposals which claim to encourage social reflexivity among the design participants. Develops an analysis of whether or not a systems based solution may be developed which is truly emancipatory for the individual living and working within an organization.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first part introduces a theoretical argument from Giddens to help explain the way in which accounting systems and systems of accountability have changed abruptly in New Zealand’s health care sector. The changes are proceeding, surrounded by controversy and the second part used Habermas’s theory of communicative action to assess the benefits or otherwise of reform and restructuring of the public health of New Zealanders. What counts as valid evidence is contentious. The reforms have been socially divisive, and surrounded by ideology and rhetoric. There appears to be little evidence to demonstrate that the reforms have improved or will ever improve access to health care by those without personal wealth.

The English National Health Service has undergone unprecedented political, economic and technological change. This has resulted in a requirement for radical improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness. An effective IT infrastructure supporting key operational processes and management reporting is now seen as essential. This paper outlines the findings from empirical research in a North East hospital Trust. The authors collaborated on a requirements analysis project to investigate and model business processes and information flows using an automated IDEF0 software tool. A participatory action research framework was used, informed by principles derived from critical social theory, to describe the complexity of the situation and provide improved communication amongst stakeholders. The paper concludes by reflecting on the need for more “ideal” speech situations in order to deal with complex operations management problems where political, power and social issues can obstruct effective implementation of new computer‐integrated operations.