Misinformation isn't random - it's strategic. 🧵
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from politicians.
We find that misinformation is not a general condition: it is driven by populist radical right parties.
with @julianachueri.bsky.social
https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612241311886
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from politicians.
We find that misinformation is not a general condition: it is driven by populist radical right parties.
with @julianachueri.bsky.social
https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612241311886
Comments
While I can accept that you have defined it for your purposes, I am not comfortable with the definition, myself, for a raft of reasons.
Hey, you're not disrespecting expertise, are you? That would be very radical populist of you.
This sparked widespread concern, especially after events like the 2016 U.S. election. 2/
Instead, misinformation concentrated among specific groups, and often associated to partisan identity or distrust of institutions. 3/
Using 32M tweets from parliamentarians in 26 countries over 6 years, we analyze which parties are most likely to spread false information. 4/
Instead, it's specifically associated with radical-right populist parties that spread misinformation as a political strategy. 5/
Misinformation and radical-right populism must be understood as inextricable and synergistic—two expressions of the same political moment. 6/
It's long been my view that in the UK, Johnson's lies/obfuscations/misdirections etc, were his worst trait
Without truth there's no trust
Without trust democracy dies
7/7
Only radical-right parties? I wonder if it's not a more widespread practice? I've certainly observed, anecdotally of course, a broader application
https://politicalaspects.wordpress.com/2025/01/15/conspiracy-theory-and-conspiracy-theorists/
Disinformation - Deliberate
Spreading misinformation may sometimes be intentional, but using it that way is ambiguous, given its definition. It's far clearer (heh) to choose disinformation.
Mis is false or inaccurate, deliberately intended to deceive.
Dis is false, intended to mislead.
MISINFORMATION is spread REGARDLESS of intent - and often without intent to mislead.
Online, people spread misinformation, very often unintentionally, meaning to share actual information.
DISINFORMATION is spread INTENTIONALLY to deceive.
I prefer the semantics.
But maybe that's just me.
If so, so be it.
I'll stick with my definitions.
OED can stick it.
https://bsky.app/profile/pettertornberg.bsky.social/post/3lfrbslud5s25
But I don't think that means that the authors have failed to understand those models.
There is an organisation behind right-wing misinformation that is generally lacking on the left.
Misinformation (to me) just implies politicians who are hard of hearing or plain stupid rather than deliberately deceptive, deceitful and disingenuous politicians.
The magnitude of this issue is unprecedented. It strips the credibility of the rule of law, and will likely become weaponized. The courts are now the only backstop left, yet the top court is compromised as well.
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from polit...]: https://read.newdin.com/?url=https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wln4abcehdwgg37snks734l5/post/3lfpdx72sls2n
🧷
If you have nothing to say except lies, then you lie ...
Your message is a prime example of that.
https://bsky.app/profile/xrlondon.bsky.social/post/3lftxqp5zxs22
So: a property of the information, or the objective of each individual?
this seems like an impossible exercise to not poison with bias and subjectivity.
When you go out of your way to spread lies and hatred to cause confusion!,that is called DISINFORMATION.
https://iambrainstorming.github.io/opinionated_observer/observation/print-media-vs-mainstream-tv-media.html
https://iambrainstorming.github.io/opinionated_observer/observation/citing_sources.html
It’s bullshit.
Call it bullshit.
“Misinformation” is much worse, as it leaves open the possibility the lie is simply a mistake.
How can we better educate people to recognize and counter these tactics?
Why? Because we:
- don't bow to the whims of billionaires
- make Trump and Putin look bad.
No wonder they want to pull us down.
extend the dataset as Twitter—now X—no longer offers data access.)"