#GhoMan – Chasing the Ghosts
Ghost management is defined as the systematic behind-the-scenes efforts and strategies deployed by large corporations to shape knowledge, ideas and narratives about specific products. Ghost management influences experts by nurturing conflicts of interest, captures regulation and policymakers, and shapes media and culture in ways that allow maximizing earning capacity.
While academic literature has explored how firms produce wealth, knowledge and information, our research analyzes how firms also spend vast resources to downplay risks, externalize costs and selectively produce ignorance or uncertainty through the dissemination of false, misleading, or contradictory information.
Our international research group brings together investigative journalism and academic research.
Our goal is to develop a systematic method for investigating and mapping ghost management at work in scientific research, medical practice and public health. Method and tools are open access.
This project was awarded a research grant by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian federal funding agency that promotes and supports research and training in the humanities and social sciences. An additional grant was awarded by the Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research. The Ghost management project is home at the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University (Canada).
Ghost management at work. A Practical Guide for the Investigation and Mapping of Health Affairs. By Catherine Riva, Serena Tinari, Marc-André Gagnon. 2024
(Also available in French)
