Research links the increase of misinformation shared by Republicans to public perceptions

[erronis]

Full title: Research links the increase of misinformation shared by Republican US politicians to public perception of honesty

A highly coordinated propaganda campaign. Any guesses on who is behind it?

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-links-misinformation-republican-politicians-perception.html

An international study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, analyzed millions of tweets by members of Congress over the last decade. Its findings showed both Republican and Democratic politicians were increasingly sharing their beliefs and opinions as well as evidence-based information. But among Republicans, their expression of honestly-held beliefs and opinions was strongly linked to less trustworthy information sources.

Lead author Jana Lasser, a postdoctoral research fellow in computational social science at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), said, "We wanted to find out what reasons and social changes contribute to people sharing untrustworthy information."

...

Republicans: Clear correlation of belief-speaking and poorly rated sources

Using statistical models, the findings demonstrated a clear correlation between the language pattern of belief-speaking and the linking of poorly rated sources, such as low-quality news sites reporting poorly researched 'facts,' for Republican members of Congress.

"In spreading their opinions and beliefs on Twitter, the Republicans are moving more and more in the direction of right-wing populists," added Lasser. "A few years ago, the quality of the linked websites was comparable to those shared by CDU MPs in Germany. Meanwhile, the level has sunk to that of the AfD."

[emulatorloo]

1. K&R

[Think. Again.]

2. The obvious flaw...

...in this study is the assumption that republicans honestly believe the B.S. they spew.

From the article:

"But among Republicans, their expression of honestly-held beliefs and opinions was strongly linked to less trustworthy information sources."

republicans simply don't have that level of integrity. They gladly and knowingly express lies and misinformation as if it is an "honestly-held belief and opinion" to try to get whatever it is they're trying to get at that moment.

[erronis]

3. That confused me also, until I parsed it again - "their expression of honestly-held beliefs..."

went on to say: "was strongly linked to less trustworthy information sources."

Basically, the more fervent they appeared, the less honest they are.

[Think. Again.]

4. I read that...

...as saying they honestly hold these beliefs, but got the initial info FOR the belief from least trustworthy sources, which would make THEM the victims of lies, when actually, they are the fully aware spreaders of the lies.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. When it's deliberate, it's "disinformation".

[erronis]

6. Agree.