Mapping persuasion strategies of Turkish anti-vaccine advocates on Instagram
A McGuire-based analysis of digital misinformation and political discourse
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19227306 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sinem Utanır Altay (0000-0003-2793-5036, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-13 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Information Technology & Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1933-169X • E-ISSN: 1933-1681 |
| Publisher | Routledge (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19331681.2026.2670392 |
| OpenAlex | W7161026884 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 28 |
This study contributes methodologically by adapting McGuire’s Communication-Persuasion Matrix into a structured thematic analysis framework applied to both visual and textual content on Instagram. We analyzed 2,114 posts from five influential antivaccine accounts in Turkey, focusing on 1,747 posts directly relevant to persuasion strategies used before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2018–2020). Using MAXQDA software and a coding scheme validated with high inter-coder reliability (κ = 0.91), we identified 13 distinct persuasion tactics. These include framing potential risks, presenting pseudo-scientific translations, employing sarcasm, advancing conspiracy theories, referencing non-expert authorities, and advocating vaccine refusal. The tactics were mapped to McGuire’s model components – such as message content, message style, source credibility, and receiver characteristics – highlighting how classical persuasion theory can inform qualitative content analysis. Our findings reveal that these Instagram accounts function as echo chambers in a post-truth environment, where misinformation circulates unchecked and is reinforced within the network. This study not only enhances our understanding of antivaccine rhetoric but also offers a replicable method for applying communication theory to digital health discourse
Discourse analysis · Disinformation · Fake news · Misinformation · Persuasion · Political communication · Politics · Turkish · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Social Media and Politics · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
Communication and Persuasion
Reinforcing Spirals Model
The Psychology of Fake News
Retracted
Emotional Flow in Persuasive Health Messages
Drivers of vaccine mis/disinformation in the media
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Social Media, Conspiracy Beliefs, and Covid-19 Vaccines
Do tabloids poison the well of social media? Explaining democratically dysfunctional news sharing
Meta-analytic evidence for the persuasive effect of narratives on beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors
Heuristic versus systematic information processing and the use of source versus message cues in persuasion
Nudging Social Media toward Accuracy
Wellness communities and vaccine hesitancy
Algorithmic content moderation
| Highly cited | No |
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