Why Do People Share Political Information on Social Media

Bibliographic Data

ID22010960
AuthorsD H Kim (0000-0001-6060-6686, University of Arizona), M Jones-Jang (0000-0003-3935-7421, Boston College, corresponding author), Kate Kenski (0000-0002-6064-791X, University of Arizona)
Year2021
Volume9
Issue8
Pages1123-1140
Publication date2021-09-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDigital Journalism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2167-0811 • E-ISSN: 2167-082X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21670811.2020.1827966
OpenAlexW3094437429
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited50

This study investigates factors predicting political information sharing on social media in the election context. Specifically, the current study examines how users’ six motivations for political information sharing and exposure to political disagreement on social media predict their political information sharing behaviors. Analyses of national survey data collected before the 2018 U.S. midterm election suggest that criticism, informing, and socialization motivations, but not expression, awareness, and self-promotion motivations, positively predict political information sharing on social media. Individuals are more likely to share political information when they are exposed to information that is disagreeable. This relationship is stronger among individuals with higher epistemic political efficacy and lower political knowledge

American political science · Information sharing · Political communication · Political science · Political socialization · Politics · Public relations · Social media · Socialization · Sociology · Voting · Voting behavior · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology