Polarization, Partisanship and Junk News Consumption on Social Media During the 2018 US Midterm Elections

Authors
ALI AHMADI 1
Seyed Mohsen Asgarzadeh 2
1 Allameh Tabatabai University, Department of Journalism
2 Allameh Tabataba'i University
Abstract
In the United States, social media platforms serve significant volumes of junk political news and information
during important moments in political life—particularly elections. In this data memo, we examine the sources of
political news and information that were shared by social media users in the period leading up to the 2018 US
midterms, evaluate the sources, and identify the primary audiences for content that is sensational, extremist,
conspiratorial or that has other qualities of junk news. Analyzing 2.5 million tweets and 6,986 Facebook pages
over a 30-day period, we find that (1) the amount of junk news in circulation over social media is greater than it
was during the 2016 US presidential election, with users sharing more junk news than professional news overall,
(2) junk news once consumed by President Trump’s support base and the far-right is now being consumed by
more mainstream conservative social media users, and that (3) less than five percent of the sources referenced on
social media are from public agencies, experts, or the political candidates themselves.

Keywords

 
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Society Culture Media
Volume 7, Issue 28
Winter 2019
Pages 145-158

  • Receive Date 19 February 2019