Articles By
Shane Littrell
Who knowingly shares false political information online?
Shane Littrell, Casey Klofstad, Amanda Diekman, John Funchion, Manohar Murthi, Kamal Premaratne, Michelle Seelig, Daniel Verdear, Stefan Wuchty and Joseph E. Uscinski
Some people share misinformation accidentally, but others do so knowingly. To fully understand the spread of misinformation online, it is important to analyze those who purposely share it. Using a 2022 U.S. survey, we found that 14 percent of respondents reported knowingly sharing misinformation, and that these respondents were more likely to also report support for political violence, a desire to run for office, and warm feelings toward extremists.