Corrective Actions in the Information Disorder. The Role of Presumed Media Influence and Hostile Media Perceptions for the Countering of Distorted User-Generated Content

Abstract

In recent times, distorted information has frequently been discussed as a serious problem for democracies. There are concerns that such information spreading via social media may lead to severe effects, such as a decline in social cohesion. Apart from platforms and journalistic organizations, users play a decisive role in preventing the spread of distorted information by flagging, reporting or countering. The current study contributes to the literature by providing new insights into users’ motivations for engaging in this important task. Building on literature on biased perceptions and presumed influences, and using a German random-quota survey (N = 2,973) we showed that the countering of distorted information is influenced by hostile media perceptions and the presumed influence on the individual but not by perceived influences on others. If users experience personal attacks online and perceive user-generated content as important for their own opinion formation, they are more likely to become active in fighting distorted information.