Mechanisms behind Increased Political Misinformation: Evidence from Europe

• In Event: Innovations in Misinformation Research and Remedies

Abstract

What are the mechanisms behind the increased use of mis- and disinformation by political elites? In this interview-based study, I leverage country level differences in polarization and media fractionalization to compare three European democracies. Experts in Sweden, Germany and Czechia are asked to elaborate on societal and media system changes that may impact political elite use of disinformation. These include affective polarization, media fractionalization and the strength of alternative media networks. I use this inductive probing of the mechanisms around disinformation dissemination to further develop a theory that links the increased use of disinformation by politicians to the presumed lower reputational costs for doing so (Sistek 2023). This study contributes to the literature on agency-based theories on democratic backsliding, where leaders dismantle democracy under relatively unconstrained conditions.

Sistek, Hanna. 2023. “Changing Reputational Costs Behind Political Use of Disinformation.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the APSA, Los Angeles. https://convention2.allacademic.com/one/apsa/apsa23/index.php?cmd=Online+Program+View+Paper&selected_paper_id=2057522&PHPSESSID=oh9elgqrhts1bimmt66437ehih.

Author

• Hanna Sistek, Purdue University