Article Information
Original Research Article | Open Access | Peer Reviewed
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Exposing the Myth of a Better World: How Academic Misinformation Conceals Global Poverty Levels
W. S. Roberts
Abstract
This case study confronts academic misinformation on global poverty levels through the analysis of
graphics and commentary developed by a University of Oxford–affiliated think tank. The investigation
reveals false positives in the group’s charts that invite readers to conclude that the population living in
extreme poverty has plunged over the last two centuries. The graphics are widely disseminated and
used by celebrity thought leaders to counter opposing viewpoints by the public and to admonish the
press under the false pretext of negativity bias. This paper exposes reputable sources, their fallacious
arguments, and their biases to expand our understanding of the roots of misinformation in the post-
truth era.
Full Text: PDF |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30845/ijhss.vol15p21
Article History:
Received: 2 June 2025 | Accepted: 24 June 2025 | Published: 26 June 2025
Reviewer(s):
Dr. Stilia Felisi Paunova, Communication, PR and Advertising Department, Faculty of Journalism and Mass
Communication, St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, Bulgaria; ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4784-0611; Phone: +359 878 606 646.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Address for Correspondence:
W. S. Roberts.
[email protected]
[email protected]
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