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Authoritarians Do It Better?:Belief in Misinformation in Turkey
Title / Series / Name
International Journal of Press-politics
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Pages
Editors
Keywords
competitive authoritarian regimes
media
misinformation
partisanship
selective exposure
social media
Communication
Sociology and Political Science
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
media
misinformation
partisanship
selective exposure
social media
Communication
Sociology and Political Science
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14018/27925
Abstract
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.
Topic
Publisher
Place of Publication
Type
Journal article
Date
2025-01-10
Language
ISBN
Identifiers
10.1177/19401612241307812