Authoritarians Do It Better? Belief in Misinformation in Turkey

Simge Andi, Ali Carkoglu, Lemi Baruh, Zsofia Bocskay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

Misinformation poses a significant threat to the integrity of political systems, particularly in competitive authoritarian regimes (CARs), where it can distort public perception and undermine democratic processes. This study focuses on the 2023 Turkish general elections—a context characterized by widespread misinformation. While extensive research has been conducted on misinformation in democratic systems, where press freedom and digitalization foster a mix of reliable and misleading information, this investigation targets the unique challenges and media consumption patterns in CARs. Utilizing a nationally representative survey after the 2023 elections, we examine the association between media consumption (traditional and online) and susceptibility to misinformation among government and opposition voters. Our findings reveal that partisan news consumption significantly influences belief in misinformation, with individuals tending to believe claims aligning with their political affiliations while rejecting opposing claims. Moreover, television remains a dominant source of information in Turkey, unlike social media, which shows a limited impact on misinformation beliefs but possesses a conditional corrective potential for certain electorate segments. This study underscores the enduring influence of traditional media in CARs and suggests that while the theory of selective exposure and partisanship is applicable, the constrained information environment significantly shapes public perceptions and misinformation dynamics.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages30
JournalInternational Journal of Press-politics
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Jan 2025
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • competitive authoritarian regimes
  • media
  • misinformation
  • partisanship
  • selective exposure
  • social media

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