Relation
How Fake News Exposure Affects Trust in Media and Government
- Misinformation exposure in between the studies was correlated with a 5% decrease in trust in the media
- Overall, misinformation exposure was positively linked to trust in government. There was a 4% increase in political trust, and more specifically an 8% increase in trust in Congress associated with misinformation exposure.
- There was a more complicated relationship when political ideology was considered. For strong liberals, misinformation exposure was linked to a decreased level of political trust. For moderates and conservatives, however, it was linked to increased levels of political trust.
- The political landscape of 2018 likely impacted these results. With republicans controlling all branches of government, most right-leaning fake news served to praise that party. Therefore, republicans and moderates would've been more likely to accept it, whereas strong democrats would have been motivated to disagree with it.
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Updated 2021-12-19
Tags
Psychology
Social Science
Empirical Science
Science