Misinformation has long been a scourge of democracy, undermining public trust in institutions and fostering division. Whether it’s a pandemic, elections, or simply current events, modern misinformation affects all of us in more ways than we imagine.

We tend to think of misinformation as a universal problem, with all sides of the political spectrum equally guilty of bending the truth or spreading falsehoods. A new study shows otherwise.

According to the study, carried out by researchers in the Netherlands, radical-right populists are far more likely to spread falsehoods than their counterparts. The study also points to the creation of an “alternative media ecosystem” by far-right groups. Here they try to recreate reality and create an echo chamber that reinforces their worldview.

“Populism, left-wing populism, and right-wing politics are not linked to the spread of misinformation. We find that radical-right populism is the strongest determinant for the propensity to spread misinformation,” the researchers note.

Misinformation and Populism

Populism is, in a strict sense, not the same as misinformation. Populism is a political approach that divides society into “the pure people” and “the corrupt elite.” Populists would say that regular people are disregarded and abused by elite groups. This can be (and unfortunately is) true in many instances, but populists want to use this to their own advantage.

Meanwhile, misinformation involves the spread of false or misleading information. When populists pit “the people” against “the elite,” they often use misinformation as a strategy to reinforce their narratives. However, not all populists are equally guilty of spreading misinformation.

Unlike left-wing populists, who focus on economic grievances and critique corporate elites, radical-right populists usually weaponize cultural fears like immigration, globalization, or political correctness. The study makes a critical distinction: while populism on both sides is often associated with anti-elitism and distrust in institutions, the radical right takes this to an extreme.

Right + populism = misinformation

The study, led by Petter Törnberg and Juliana Chueri, analyzed a dataset of over 32 million tweets by 8,200 parliamentarians across 26 countries. It’s the first large-scale, cross-national analysis of how different political ideologies influence misinformation.

The dataset spans the period 2017-2022, before Twitter was “Musk-ified” and turned into the platform now beloved by the far right. The results suggest that neither political ideology nor populism are sufficient to explain misinformation on Twitter. It’s only when the right and populism intersect that misinformation starts to boom.

The research points to another key aspect: radical-right supporters often believe they are better informed than others, even when they are being misinformed. This makes them much more susceptible to misinformation that aligns with their worldview, creating a feedback loop where misinformation fuels distrust, which in turn amplifies the effectiveness of false narratives.

Populist, far-right politicians understand this well. They seem to have incorporated misinformation into a strategy. This strategy serves multiple purposes:

• Undermining trust in mainstream media.
• Strengthening their base by reinforcing fears and grievances.
• Distracting from policy scrutiny by dominating the media agenda with provocative content.

Why this works so well in the current environment

Radical-right populists thrive in the current media ecosystem, which prioritizes engagement over accuracy. The “clickbait media” model, driven by algorithms that amplify sensational content, provides fertile ground for these actors. By bypassing traditional media gatekeepers, they create and disseminate their own narratives through alternative media platforms.

There appears to be a symbiotic relationship between these populists and the “clickbait media” model. The attention economy promotes content that captures and retains user interest, often measured in terms of likes, shares, comments, and overall engagement. Radical right populists have been effective in creating and utilizing alternative media ecosystems that amplify their viewpoints,” the researchers add

The effects of this approach are what we see around us today. Misinformation contributes to the erosion of democratic institutions. By spreading falsehoods, radical-right populists aim to delegitimize elections, discredit opponents, and destabilize governance. It’s what’s happening in countries from the US to Europe to South Korea.

The researchers even go one step further, calling far-right populism and misinformation two sides of the same coin.

“Misinformation and radical-right populism must hence be understood as inextricable and synergistic—two expressions of the same political moment.”

An important wake-up call

The researchers acknowledge the limitations of their study. Firstly, Twitter no longer allows researchers to access data, so the database stops in 2022 and is not updated anymore. Secondly, platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, which cater to different demographics, remain unexplored. The study is limited to 26 mostly Western democracies, so the findings should mostly be considered for this geography.

Furthermore, the study uses a broad definition of misinformation, encompassing both intentional (disinformation) and unintentional (misinformation) falsehoods. This makes it difficult to discern whether radical-right populists are knowingly spreading lies or are themselves misled. It also assumes that the behavior of parliamentarians on Twitter reflects broader party strategies, which may not always be true.

Despite all these limitations, however, the study paints a compelling picture. Radical-right populist parties have uniquely weaponized misinformation as a political strategy. Unlike other groups, these actors rely heavily on falsehoods to exploit cultural fears, undermine democratic norms, and galvanize their base, making them the dominant drivers of today’s misinformation crisis.

Understanding this imbalance is crucial for addressing the root causes of the problem and restoring trust in democratic processes.

The study was published in the International Journal of Press/Politics.