Is Misinformation All Around Us? Citizens’ Perceptions of Misinformation Nearness Regarding Its Span, Availability, and Accessibility

Abstract

Abstract

This study investigates to what extent and how people perceive misinformation as a proximate phenomenon that has infiltrated their everyday digital news domains. Via a survey (US and the Netherlands, N = 1396), that uniquely tasked people with providing hyperlinks to both misinformation and credible information, we explored the perceived span, availability, and accessibility of misinformation. First, citizens’ understanding of misinformation seems to be subject to concept creep as it extends beyond strictly false content by including biased and politically motivated information. Second, when identifying sources of misinformation, respondents more often pointed to mainstream and widely accessible sources, such as partisan news outlets and social media, rather than fringe or extremist sources. Third, misinformation is perceived to be easily obtainable, while credible information remains more accessible. These findings underscore high levels of perceived misinformation nearness among citizens, which could be concerning as it is found to correlate with estimations of misinformation as more threatening and omnipresent. This study highlights the challenges audiences experience when curating their digital news diets in ways that avoid contamination by misinformation and inaccuracies.