Hyperpartisan, Alternative, and Conspiracy Media Users: An Anti-Establishment Portrait

While there is growing academic attention to readers of hyperpartisan, alternative, and conspiracy (HAC) media, our understanding of these sites has developed in separate bodies of work. We make a case for studying HAC media in unison, recognizing them as different information sources that share the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Political communication 2024-11, Vol.41 (6), p.877-902
Main Authors: de León, Ernesto, Makhortykh, Mykola, Adam, Silke
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
alternative media
Case studies
Conspiracy
conspiracy theories
COVID-19
Extremes
Hyperpartisan media
Information sources
Integrative approach
Mass media
Mirroring
News Exposure
News Intermediaries
Public opinion
Social media
Threats
Visitors
webtracking
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:While there is growing academic attention to readers of hyperpartisan, alternative, and conspiracy (HAC) media, our understanding of these sites has developed in separate bodies of work. We make a case for studying HAC media in unison, recognizing them as different information sources that share the same underlying anti-establishment sentiment. We do so by painting a detailed portrait of HAC media users, detailing 1) who consumes HAC media; 2) how they access it; and 3) how its consumption relates to public opinion. This is made possible by the unique combination of panel surveys taken before and after the first COVID-19 lockdowns in Germany and Switzerland, and webtracking data capturing participants' actual online behavior. Our results show that those exposed to HAC media have a strong distrust of government and place themselves at the ideological extremes. While social media was a quintessential entry point for such media, most visits were registered by a small percentage of repeat visitors. Lastly, we show that those who consumed HAC media developed distinct opinions about the threat posed by COVID-19, mirroring the sentiments expressed in HAC media that the danger of the virus was exaggerated and that the real threat was to individual freedoms. With this case study, we showcase the theoretical utility of taking an integrated approach to HAC media, while providing nuanced insights into their audience.
ISSN:1058-4609
1091-7675
DOI:10.1080/10584609.2024.2325426