Folk theories of fake news
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6461785 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anastasia Kazun (0000-0002-9633-2776, HSE University, Moscow, Russia), A D Kazun (National Research University Higher School of Economics, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 73-85 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Полис Политические исследования (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1026-9487 • E-ISSN: 1684-0070 |
| Publisher | Political Studies (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.17976/jpps/2025.06.06 |
| OpenAlex | W7106669405 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 44 |
This article draws on 119 semi-structured interviews exploring perceptions of fake news. Analysis reveals three prevalent folk theories of fake news: (1) “Fake news is everywhere,” reflecting a relativistic understanding of facts. Informants expressed a pervasive sense of the ubiquity of disinformation, viewing objective knowledge as unattainable and the boundaries between truth and falsehood as blurred. Truth and falsehood are not perceived as binary opposites but rather as a continuum, illustrating ontological and epistemological relativism. (2) “Fake news is what I disagree with” aligns with confirmation bias and selective exposure. This theory reveals the ideological framing of fake news, where truth is perceived not as objective but as a moral category. A clear “us” vs. “them” dichotomy emerges, distinguishing those possessing “correct truth” from those consuming and falling victim to disinformation. The same news sources may be interpreted as credible or fake depending on the respondent’s viewpoint. (3) “Fake news (mostly) threatens others,” reflecting a third-person effect. Informants believed disinformation disproportionately affects groups differing from themselves, often categorized by age (young vs. old), news source usage (television vs. internet), and political affiliation
Disinformation · Fake news · False accusation · Framing (construction · Ideology · Perception · Politics · Post truth
Duped
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Concepts and Folk Theories
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |