Does the platform matter? Social media and COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs in 17 countries
| Autor: | Nicoleta Corbu, Frank Esser, Karolina Koc-Michalska, Joerg Matthes, David Nicolas Hopmann, Soyeon Jin, Peter Van Aelst, Claes H. de Vreese, Tamir Sheafer, Yannis Theocharis, Jesper Strömbäck, Christian Schemer, Toril Aalberg, Sergio Splendore, Václav Štětka, Agnieszka Stępińska, James Stanyer, Ana Sofía Cardenal, Laia Castro |
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| Přispěvatelé: | University of Zurich, Theocharis, Yannis, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Sociology and Political Science
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) teorías conspirativas Conspiracy theory social media affordances Pandemia de COVID-19 2020 oferiments COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 10240 Department of Communication and Media Research conspiracy theories 3312 Sociology and Political Science Pandèmia de COVID-19 2020 Social media teories conspiratives Sociology percepción errónea Affordance 070 News media journalism & publishing COVID Communication COVID-19 misperceptions ofrecimientos Epistemology ddc Mass communications Key (cryptography) percepció errònia Affordances 3315 Communication |
| Zdroj: | New Media & Society O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) New media and society |
| ISSN: | 1461-4448 |
| Popis: | While the role of social media in the spread of conspiracy theories has received much attention, a key deficit in previous research is the lack of distinction between different types of platforms. This study places the role of social media affordances in facilitating the spread of conspiracy beliefs at the center of its enquiry. We examine the relationship between platform use and conspiracy theory beliefs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relying on the concept of technological affordances, we theorize that variation across key features make some platforms more fertile places for conspiracy beliefs than others. Using data from a crossnational dataset based on a two-wave online survey conducted in 17 countries before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we show that Twitter has a negative effect on conspiracy beliefs—as opposed to all other platforms under examination which are found to have a positive effect. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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