Seeking truth in digital media within the boundaries of post-truth: Phenomenological examination of conspiracy theories concerning the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquake

Major social events such as war, poverty, disaster, historical stories can direct the individual's thinking and knowledge production style to conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories, which are at the center of contemporary public discourse along with discussions about post-truth, claim that reality is produced. Conspiracy theories are presented with the support of politics, media and science and continue to be the cause of various social units. In fact, the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which occurred recently and caused great destruction, is such an event. This study examines the conspiracy theories produced regarding the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquake as a research phenomenon. The purpose of the research includes how experiencing a social event changes their beliefs in conspiracy theories. In this context, the relationship between belief in conspiracy theories and experience constitutes the focus of the research. In order to reveal the design experience designed with the qualitative research method in general, 25 statements from two groups, those who experienced the earthquake and those who did not, and half-read discussions were made. In the research, the descriptive phenomenological analysis developed by Giorgi within the scope of Husserl's descriptive phenomenological approach was used. The 5 themes, 16 categories and codes obtained as a result of the analysis were interpreted. In this direction, it was reached by the emergence of certain changes in the experience. Accordingly, experiencing an earthquake reinforces the belief in conspiracy theories. It was also determined that conspiracy theories against earthquakes were spread especially through digital media. In addition, although cautious actions against content spread digitally were also encountered, the event of encountering these contents was where the belief in false information and conspiracy theories about the earthquake increased. However, it is a result that especially those who experienced the earthquake should believe that the truth about the earthquake was hidden or distorted by government officials.