A Misinformation Insurrection: Examining the Influence of Political Affiliation on Media Hostility and News Credibility

On 6 January 2021, American citizens stormed the US Capitol in an effort to reverse the results of the presidential election. The incident and the baseless claims that ignited the insurrection highlight the shortcomings of media platforms at curbing misinformation. To better understand factors that influence media credibility, the researchers conducted a survey across a nationwide sample of US adults (N = 413). Study participants evaluated the credibility of a political news article about the congressional response to the insurrection and assessed the likelihood they would share the article on social media. Additionally, a survey of hostile media perceptions was conducted to determine potential correlations between online behaviors and offline political ideologies. Study findings offer evidence of political affiliation as a strong predictor for specific cognitive heuristic processes related to political incidents and online news. The correlations between media hostility, perceived credibility, and online share likelihood highlight differences in cognitive engagement across political lines.