The Role of Online Misinformation and Fake News in Ideological Polarization: Barriers, Catalysts, and Implications

In recent years, the circulation of online misinformation and fake news has drawn our attention, given it has ideologically polarized society and has led to social instability, compromised democracies, and other consequences. Efforts on technical or behavioral dimensions on their identification are...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Information systems frontiers Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 1331 - 1354
Main Authors: Au, Cheuk Hang, Ho, Kevin K. W., Chiu, Dickson K.W.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2022
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Business and Management
Catalysts
Communication
Computer mediated communication
Control
False information
Ideology
Information systems
Internet
IT in Business
Management of Computing and Information Systems
Misinformation
News
Operations Research/Decision Theory
Polarization
Social networks
Society
Systems Theory
Polarization
Misinformation
Fake news
Social media
Computer-mediated communication
ISSN:1387-3326, 1572-9419
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:In recent years, the circulation of online misinformation and fake news has drawn our attention, given it has ideologically polarized society and has led to social instability, compromised democracies, and other consequences. Efforts on technical or behavioral dimensions on their identification are not uncommon, but these efforts inadequately addressed their roots, and thus may not stop them from creation or spreading. Using the theoretical lens of computer-mediated communications, we analyzed the ideological polarization phenomenon in Hong Kong, which has been worsening since the Umbrella Revolution in 2014. We proposed a three-stage model to illustrate the mechanism of how online misinformation and fake news leads to ideological polarization. The catalysts and barriers in each stage were also highlighted. Our analyses generate a better understanding of the mechanisms that help hinder the circulation of online misinformation and fake news, and thus, reduces the damages it caused.
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ISSN:1387-3326
1572-9419
DOI:10.1007/s10796-021-10133-9