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Curtailing the spread of fake news: Antecedents of citizens’ intention to correct misinformation on social media

  • Beatriz Jordá EMAIL logo , Manuel Goyanes und Lorena González-Manzano
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 23. Juli 2025
Communications
Aus der Zeitschrift Communications

Abstract

There are severe concerns over the widespread presence of fake news on social media and the vulnerability of citizens to its influence. Prior research on fake news has largely focused on the potential threat it poses to democracy, and has payed less attention to an opposing behavior that has emerged in parallel and mitigates its effects: citizens’ corrective actions. This study seeks to examine the sociopolitical antecedents that drive citizens to correct fake news on social media. Drawing on panel survey data from Spain (T2 = 570), we explore the role that using social media for news, cross-cutting political discussion, and support for fake news censorship have on intention to correct misinformation on social media. Our findings clarify the positive associations between the use of social media for news, the frequency of cross-cutting discussion, and support for fake news censorship over the intention to correct misinformation. Briefly, our study shows how social media’s mix of news, misinformation and political disagreement can motivate users to undertake pro-social democratic behaviors like corrective actions.

Acknowledgments

This study has benefited from the support of the Community of Madrid through the research plan “Estímulo a la Investigación de Jóvenes Doctores” of the multiannual agreement with the UC3M (DEPROFAKE-CM-UC3M), within the framework of the V PRICIT (V Regional Plan of Scientific Research and Technological Innovation). The title of the project is “Defensa Proactiva Frente a la Ciberamenaza Desinformativa: Antecedentes, Consecuencias y Mecanismos de Detección y Predicción de Contenido Falso.”

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Published Online: 2025-07-23

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Heruntergeladen am 30.12.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/commun-2024-0106/html
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